The High School
by Romans828
Summary: Very AU. What if the office took place in high school?  And what if there was singing involved?  Don't knock it before you try it!
1. Jim and Pam

Authors' Note: I'm going to sporadically insert songs into the chapters. I will make sure they have a purpose and a cause, but . . . use of your suspension of disbelief will come in handy.  
>I've already written fifteen chapters, but, if you want to suggest songs after that, feel free. Please enjoy and review.<p>

_ It's just another day, Jim,_ he thought. _If Mifflin High isn't the worst place on Earth, I don't know what is.  
><em>  
>He sighed, mentally preparing himself for the day ahead of him. Unfortunately, he was correct about Mifflin High being 'less than top-notch'. If not for the fun he got from torturing Dwight, he didn't think he could survive another day there. Each day was worse than the last. Little did Jim know, however, things were about to change.<br>  
><em>Wow, <em>thought Pam. _So this is Mifflin High._

She had just transferred from Riverside, which, to be honest, wasn't much. There were five hundred students in the entire school. Mifflin, on the other hand, was more than twice that. Pam was overtaken with just how big a school it was. Just finding her locker without getting trampled was an ordeal._  
><em>  
>Collecting her books, she attempted to walk to her class, but something stood in her way.<em><br>_  
>"Um, excuse me," she mumbled, trying to move past. The figure moved in front of her.<em><br>_  
>"Hey, not so fast." She looked up and tried to make eye contact with this person. It was a tall male, who looked about sixteen. He wore a loose-fitting white t-shirt, with a frightening design on the front. His pants were just low enough for it to be uncomfortable (for her). He smiled what she could only describe as a 'crocodile smile' before taking a step forward. "You new?"<em><br>_  
>She nodded and his smile grew. He put out his hand. "I'm Packer." Tentatively, she shook it and he pulled her forward swiftly. "Care for me to walk you to class?"<em><br>_  
>She immediately stepped back and released his hand. "No, thank you." Attempting to walk past him, he stepped in front of her again.<em><br>_  
>"You sure? I can be a great friend to you," he leaned in a bit, "and an awful enemy."<em><br>_  
>Pam was too scared to speak. Luckily, she didn't have to.<em><br>_  
>"Hey." Both turned in the direction of the new voice. "She said no."<em><br>_  
>Jim stood, his heart pounding. He knew about Packer and had done his best to just stay out of his way. But, what could he say? The little lady needed help . . . and there was something about her he liked.<em><br>_  
>Packer stepped towards him, menacingly. "I . . . don't think I know you."<em><br>_  
>Jim mentally sighed in relief. "This isn't about me." He gestured towards Pam. "Let her go to class."<em><br>_  
>"What are you going to do?" Jim froze. He hadn't exactly thought ahead this far. Luckily, he didn't have to.<em><br>_  
>"Todd!" All three turned to the teacher who had appeared.<em><br>_  
>"Yes, ma'am?" He straightened up and Pam took the opportunity to move away from him.<em><br>_  
>"Come into my office. Now." Quickly glaring at Jim, he trudged inside the classroom. The teacher shot Pam and Jim an apologetic glance before closing the door. After a moment, Pam spoke up.<em><br>_  
>"Thank you." Jim looked over at her and smiled.<em><br>_  
>"No problem. I'm Jim, by the way."<em><br>_  
>"I'm Pam." She put her hand out and he shook it.<em><br>_  
>"Why so early?" He asked, in an attempt at conversation.<em><br>_  
>"I'm new, so I thought I'd get acquainted with the area."<p>

"If you'd like, I could show you around." He offered. His kindness made Pam long to say yes. But, she couldn't._  
><em>  
>"I can't."<em><br>_  
>His face fell. "Why not?"<em><br>_  
><em>Now, to break it to him gently. <em>". . . My boyfriend goes to this school, and I just figured he would-"_  
><em>  
>Jim's heart sank. "Oh. No, that makes sense."<em><br>_  
>They both began to speak at the same time, trying to convince the other that it was okay. Eventually, Pam had to leave and, as he watched her go, Jim sighed.<em><br>_  
><em>Yep, apparently Mifflin can get worse.<em> He started to walk off. _Now, which one of these is Dwights' locker?_


	2. Creed

Michael walked out of class eagerly. He knew Jan would be at her locker. She pretended she wasn't waiting for him, but he knew better. Catching sight of her, he began to stroll towards her. Once he was behind her, he tapped her shoulder.

"Hey, Jan." He said nonchalantly. She rolled her eyes before shutting her locker and walking away without a word. Once Michael returned from his momentary shock, he ran after her. "Hey, what's your problem?"

Turning to him, she gave him a glare that made his blood run cold. "What do you think?" she replied icily.

"Last time I answered that question, you yelled at me, so I'm not even gonna run into that bear trap again-"

She stopped abruptly and took him by the arm, leading him to a place out of the way of the other students changing classes. "Look, just shut it for a second." She sighed. "I'm mad at you because of what you said in science last period."

He struggled to remember. "I said a lot of things in that class. . . ."

She nodded slowly. "Yes, you did. And just about everything you said was offensive and crude! That's exactly my point!"

Michael laughed. "You're just not understanding my humor. Try this: Ok, so a nun, a pastor, and a black guy walk into a bar-"

Jan gave him a blank stare, slowly shaking her head. "No, you just don't understand it. We're seniors, Michael. Don't you want to do something for this school instead of building up your reputation as class idiot?"

He gasped. "I resent that!"

She nodded. "As you should!" They both were jerked back into reality as the minute bell rang. Before running off, Jan turned to him and said, "Just promise me you'll think about what I said."

Watching her go, Michael sighed. He knew he had to prove to Jan he could do something. But he couldn't just jeopardize his reputation. He shrugged. _I'll figure something out. I always do._  
><br>Pam walked out of the front doors of the school and sat down on the steps. _Roy said he'd meet me here at lunch. I wonder where he is . . . .  
><em>  
>"Looking for someone?" Whirling around to face the voice, she saw a boy who looked about four years older than her. He was sitting on the wide cement railing at the edge of the steps with his legs stretched out in front of him. He gave her a small smile and, while she did smile back, she couldn't help but think he was staring into her very soul. Before she could speak, he started chuckling.<p>

"Aren't we all?" He shook his head, smiling. "Aren't we all?"

"Excuse me, um, who are you?" Pam timidly asked.

He looked off into the distance. "Well, I believe there's really only one way to answer that question." He reached behind the railing and pulled out a guitar before placing it in his lap and beginning to strum. "In song."

"Oh, I don't think that's really necessary." _Was that guitar there the entire time?  
><em>  
>"Oh," he sang. "One evening, as the sun went down<br>and jungle fires were burning,  
>down the track came a hobo hiking,<br>and he said, "Boys, I'm not turning.  
>I'm headed for a land that's far away<br>besides the crystal fountains.  
>So come with me, we'll go and see<br>the Big Rock Candy Mountains."

He paused and Pam tried to seize the moment. "Um, look, I don't-"

"In the Big Rock Candy Mountains,  
>there's a land that's fair and bright,<br>where the handouts grow on bushes  
>and you sleep out every night.<br>Where the boxcars all are empty  
>and the sun shines every day<br>and the birds and the bees  
>and the cigarette trees,<br>the lemonade springs  
>where the bluebird sings<br>in the Big Rock Candy Mountains."

Pam sighed, giving up attempting to stop the boy. Fortunately, while he was nearing the end of the verse, she saw a familiar face walking towards her. She waved and called out to him, hoping he would come faster. "Hey, Roy!"

He waved back. "Hey, Pam!"

Despite this interruption, the boy continued playing. Soon, Roy approached. "Hey, sorry I'm late, the guys-" He noticed the boy. "I see you've made a new friend."

"In the Big Rock Candy Mountains,  
>all the cops have wooden legs-"<p>

"Hey, kid." Roy stepped towards him, grabbing the neck and muting the sound. This did nothing to stop the boy from strumming though. Eventually, Roy just gave up.

"Ready to tour, Pam?" he asked, putting out his hand. She smiled, taking it.

"Of course." They walked off together, failing to notice Michael standing a few feet away. His eyes widened in the fresh burst of an idea.

"That's it! That's what I can do for the school! I'll start a glee club!" 

Song used: 'Big Rock Candy Mountain' by Harry 'Haywire' McClintock


	3. Oscar

Oscar had not been looking forward to this day. It was his first day of high school as a junior and, despite his mothers numerous comments about how a cheerful attitude can change anything, he was not happy. All this negativity was due to a fact he knew all too well to be true: If he was becoming a junior, Packer was becoming a senior. A year older, a year stronger, and yet, not a year wiser. Another year he'd have to suffer through getting beat up and taunted by Packer and his friends. Needless to say, Oscar was not looking forward to it.

This is why it came as such a surprise that he made it through half a day without even seeing Packer. At lunch, he discussed the matter with his friend, Kevin, who would answer his questions as best as he could between mouthfuls.

"Now that you mention it," he said thoughtfully. "I haven't seen Packer either."

Oscar looked at him incredulously. "You mean, you didn't even notice?"

Kevin just looked up at him with wide eyes. "Was I supposed to?"

Oscar sighed. "How do you stay so calm?"

Unfortunately, Kevin was too busy sticking his nose into an ice cream cup to hear his friends' question. He offered the cup to Oscar. "Want some? Cookies and Cream smells like Christmas!"  
><br>After his conversation with Kevin, Oscar was able to relax at least a little bit. Unfortunately, it wasn't long until he found out the real reason for Packer's absence.

Math class had just started and everything was going fine. A few students other than Packer were missing, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. Then, the teacher, Mrs. Danna, received a phone call. She was a few seconds into 'hmm-ing' and 'uh-huh-ing' before beckoning Oscar over.

"Honey, did you check your schedule?" His eyes widened.

"I thought I did."

"Because you're not supposed to be in this class . . . at least not right now."

"What?" He was pretty sure she was mistaken, but she shook her head.

"No, Mr. Albertson just called." Oscar nodded at the mention of the principal, but Mrs. Danna pretended not to notice. "He said you are supposed to be in, um, glee club?" Her voice raised up at the end, as if it were a question.

He opened his mouth to object, but stopped when he saw the look she gave him. She covered the receiver with her hand and whispered, "If you just go down there and explain what you have to explain, I'm sure things will work themselves out. But, nothing will get accomplished if you complain here." She shrugged, as if to say 'There's nothing more I can do' before shooing him out the door.  
><br>Entering the room he presumed to be the glee club, he took in his surroundings, surprised he had ever thought this day would be anything less than horrible. There were fourteen other people there and a few of them he recognized; he saw Kevin wave to him eagerly and pat the chair next to him. Others he wished he didn't recognize; he saw Angela give him an icy stare and he rolled his eyes. Still others were complete blanks; there was a boy sitting in the back with a guitar strapped around his chest who had to have been a senior, yet Oscar didn't think he had ever even caught sight of him before.

Michael, that weird senior, was standing at the front of the class and seemed to have been explaining something before Oscar walked in. A teacher who Oscar recognized to be Mr. Ben, a science teacher for 9th, 10th, and 12th grade, stood behind Michael. He smiled warmly at Oscar.

"Well, welcome to the glee club! I believe you already know me." He smirked at Oscar and Oscar smiled back. "Make yourself at home. Right now, we're just making introductions."

"Um, actually, I really shouldn't be here-" Before he could continue, he heard laughter from the hall. He turned just in time to see Packer and his friends before they ran off, howling.

_So, they're the ones who signed me up for glee club! And for what? To see a gay guy sing? Is that really it?_ Suddenly, Oscar made a decision. He wasn't going to let Packer mess things up for him. Not this year! "Where do I sit?"


	4. Introductions

Michael smiled. This whole glee club thing was starting off much better than he had ever thought it would! He had fifteen other people and a teacher all willing to put up with him in the name of music. This would be great! And, to make it even better, Oscar just walked in. Michael would never admit it, because Oscar was a whole year younger than him, but he was one of the smartest people he had ever met. And he was gay! That would bring some diversity into the group, right? And who doesn't want that?

After Oscar sat down (next to that big kid who had waved at him before-who knew they were friends? Go figure.), Michael started his introduction.

"What up, home dogs?" The room was silent. He pointed at a black kid sitting near the back with what looked like a magazine in his hands. "Am I right? Am I right?" The kid slowly looked up. "Where's the love? Is it in that magazine? 'Cause I really don't think it is."

"It's a crossword puzzle book and I don't appreciate-" Michael didn't let him finish.

"Well, I'm Michael. I like long walks along the beach, picnics, sunsets, and large-" Luckily, Mr. Ben leapt into the conversation.

"Okay!" He clapped his hands. "That's good, um, why don't we continue with this side of the room" he pointed "and keep traveling down the row? Once we get down to the end of the row, we can just start at the next one higher up."

A tall boy with light brown hair smiled and looked around. "Hi. I'm Jim. I'm a freshman here." There were a few 'whoos' at this. "I joined glee club," he trailed off, then shrugged. "Because I wanted to meet some new people."

The girl next to him blushed slightly. She had long brown hair, which was tied up into a messy bun. "Um, hi." She said quietly before clearing her throat and starting again, a bit louder. "Hi. I'm Pam. I'm also a freshman and I joined the glee club . . . for the same reason."

"Hi!" A red-haired girl with an incredibly infectious smile gave a small wave. "I'm Kelly and-" A dark-skinned girl sitting behind her, in the second row, interrupted her.

"Oh my gosh! My name's Kelly, too! Twinsies!" She reached out to high-five the girl and, after a moment of confusion, the girl returned it. "Ok, sorry, you can go."

" . . .Um, well, I'm a sophomore-"

"Me, too!" squeed the girl. She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, please continue."

" . . . And I'm joining glee club because it looked like fun!"

The next guy to go looked like quite a card. For some reason, underneath his 'good boy' looks, he just screamed 'oddity'. He nodded at her politely before beginning. "Howdy do, all. I'm Andy Bernard, I'm a sophomore and I joined this glee club because I love to sing."

Oscar cast his eyes downward and smiled nervously. "I'm Oscar. I'm a junior and I joined glee club because . . ." He risked a glance towards the door. Through the window, he could see Packer and his friends, grinning. _It must be their free period,_ he thought. Straightening up, he looked at Mr. Ben and spoke very clearly. "Because I like to sing too."

Jim and Michael noticed his gaze switch to the door and back. When Jim noticed Packer standing there, his heart rate sped up and he slouched down, hoping he hadn't seen him. Michael, on the other hand, waved eagerly. Packer waved back, smiling slightly. Michael grinned and almost called out to him. Before he could, however, Mr. Ben noticed his frantic hand movements and asked, "Michael, is there a problem?"

Packer ducked behind the doorway before Mr. Ben could see him and Michael shook his head. "No, sir, just – Nope."

"Alright. Um, you then." He pointed to the next boy to go.

The big kid next to him was bouncing up and down eagerly, awaiting his turn. The words practically burst out of his mouth. "Hi! My name's Kevin, I'm a junior and I joined glee club because I thought it would be fun."

Mr. Ben smiled. "And how is it comparing to your expectations so far?"

Kevin gave a wide smile and opened his mouth to speak. Before he could, however, he was interrupted by a loud throat clear. Everyone turned to see where it had come from. A boy sat on the second row, wearing a yellow button-down shirt and tan jeans. His arms were crossed and he faced everyone with a cross look.

"I'd love to hear what joys and jollies my fellow classmate, Kevin, has experienced since the start of school as much as the next guy, but I'd also like to get done before the next class period begins. May I start?" he asked. Regretfully, Mr. Ben nodded.

He raised his hand. "Hello." He lowered it. "My name is Dwight K. Schrute, hall monitor."

Jim, who was sitting in front of Dwight, muttered, "Assistant hall monitor." The rest of the class laughed. Dwight shot Jim a look before continuing.

"I was born in 1994, making me a sophomore," he added quietly, "and a full year older than one Jim Halpert. Lastly, I joined this glee club because . . . in the simplest terms, I wanted to test my endurance."

A small blonde girl was sitting next to Dwight. Her hands were folded in her lap and she sat up straight, lifting her head high before beginning. "Hello, my name is Angela. I'm a junior. I joined the glee club because I thought it would be a fun way to spend my time and it would look good on my resume." There was a chorus of agreeing 'mmm's, including just about everyone.

"Okay, hi!" A perky voice came from the right of Angela. It belonged to a dark-skinned girl with a gorgeous smile. "My name is Kelly Kapoor. I'm a sophomore, woo-woo!" A few people 'woo-wooed' back. Kevin leaned into Oscar and whispered, "Did she just 'woo-woo' herself?"

"I joined glee club because it has many benefits, for my education and in, like, life, too." She grinned. "I also joined because my boyfriend, Ryan is here." She turned to the boy behind her, who was trying to disappear into the floor. "And, as everyone knows, wherever you find Ryan, you'll find me!" She gave a small, perky bounce before turning to the girl next to her. "Okay, you can go."

The girl had long, dark brown hair and a humble expression. She was truly beautiful. "Um, hello." She gave a small wave. "I'm Phyllis. I'm a senior and I joined the glee club because," she shrugged and smiled, "I guess I like to sing as well."

All heads turned to the third row. It was the boy with the guitar's turn. He stood up and bowed deeply. "Hello! I'm . . ." He looked around with shifty eyes. "Creed. Creed Bratton. I'm a senior and I joined glee club so I wouldn't have to join the chess club." There was a bout of laughter and his eyes widened, as if he was afraid no one believed him. "But I-It's true. . ."

The next boy, previously addressed as Ryan, stood up, forcing Creed to sit down. "Okay, then. Hi. My name's Ryan. Remember this face." There was another, smaller bout of laughter. "I'm a junior and . . ." He looked down at Kelly, who was looking up at him adoringly. ". . . And I really don't know why I joined the glee club. I'm more of a businessman myself." He shrugged. "I guess I'm just a crowd-pleaser." Kelly squealed gleefully and clapped her hands together as Ryan sat back down.

A tall girl with red hair straightened up. "Hi." Dwight noted that neither she nor Ryan looked particularly eager to be there. "I'm Meredith. I'm a junior." She put her hands up in a defensive pose. "And I'm just trying to get enough credits to get into Yale."

"Going for a music degree?" Mr. Ben guessed.

She nodded before turning to her right, waiting for the next person to go. It was the same boy Michael had racially insulted before and he was, apparently, deep into a puzzle. Dwight called out to him.

"Hey, you. Puzzler." The boy slowly looked up with a very cross expression. "It's your turn." Dwight started snapping his fingers at him. "Up and at 'em!"

"Okay, that's enough, Dwight." Mr. Ben said in a warning tone. Dwight looked over at Michael and, after a moment, Michael gave him a discreet thumbs-up.

"My name is Stanley Hudson." The boy began slowly. "I'm a sophomore. And I joined this glee club for a little peace and quiet." He glared pointedly at Dwight before going back to his crossword. "That was before I knew Dwight would be joining." He mumbled.

"Well," Mr. Ben clapped his hands. "I'd say this has been a great start. We began a little late, so . . . class dismissed!"


	5. Andy and Erin

The bell rang announcing the end of French class and the end of the first day of school. The students ran from the room as if they were escaping a prison. That is, all except one Andrew Bernard. He waited a moment until he was almost the last person in the room. The only other people who remained were Erin and that other kid he had met in glee club . . . Oscar, he suddenly remembered. _Well, _he shrugged. _That's close enough to being alone. Time for the 'Nard dog to stalk his prey.  
><em>  
>As he walked towards her desk, he began to rethink that last phrase. <em>'Stalk his prey'? No, that's no good! Make his move! That's better.<em>By the time he had figured out a good catchphrase, though, he found that he had been standing in front of her for a while and now she was looking up at him expectantly.

"Did you . . . want something?" she tried. His eyes widened and he stepped back, the rush of confidence suddenly gone.

"Um, yeah. Did you get the homework pages?"

She smiled, eager to please. "Yep." She rummaged through her notebook before finding the information for him. "Anything else?"

Stunned that she was even talking to him, Andy could barely form words. "Nope, that's it." Desparate to get out of the situation, he dashed from the room, mentally kicking himself. Once he reached the doorway, however, he regained a bit of common sense and turned back. "Um, thanks."

She looked up and beamed at him. "Anytime."

He smiled back before disappearing. Eventually, Erin left too, leaving only one left.  
><em>Well, that was pathetic, <em>thought Oscar. Pushing away a small twinge of jealousy, he soon packed up and left as well.

OOOOO

Soon after the bell rang, Angela reached her locker. As she packed her backpack, she thought to herself, _I wonder why Andy stayed behind. He usually reaches his locker around the same time I do. Probably stayed for that Erin girl. Stupid. Like I didn't see him making eyes at her during glee club. Why do freshman insist on starting relationships? They never last. Well, at least they're better than Kelly and Ryan. She's __always__ draped over him like a coat, it's disgusting. Honestly, if my sisters didn't look up to me, I would leave this place in a heartbeat._She continued this inner monologue that could only be described as 'gossiping with only one person'. Suddenly, she heard a low voice come from behind her.

"Angela." It was his form of greeting. Over time, she had come to learn that. Her monologue instantly screeched to a halt and she smiled.

"Dwight." she replied, her tone even.

"May I escort you home?"

Her smile grew.


	6. Pick Up

A/N: I'm having issues with the chapter breaks, so please go easy on me about that. Sorry about the double alert on the last chapter. Other than that, enjoy the story! : )

Meredith stepped outside, hoping with all her might that her dad had come to pick her up. Unfortunately, she saw the red pickup sitting in the parking lot and cursed. Walking towards it, she did her best to try to convince herself that her dad would be in the front seat, even though she knew it wasn't true. Reaching the truck, she threw her backpack into the back before climbing in.

The inside stank of alcohol and Meredith could hear empty bottles clinking around underneath her seat. She opened her window in an attempt to air out the car.

"Hey, Meri!" Her mom slurred, cheerfully. Meredith rolled her eyes and did her best not to make eye contact.

"Just drive, mom."

OOOOO

Meanwhile, Oscar and Phyllis sat next to each other on one of the many benches outside the school. While he waited for his parents to come, Oscar watched that boy with the guitar walk past them. He waved goodbye, but the boy didn't seem to notice. He just kept walking further and further into the distance, before turning a corner and disappearing from view.

"Weird." he muttered. Phyllis made a noise in agreement. Surprised to find that she was watching too, he turned to her. _Might as well be nice,_he thought, putting out his hand. "I'm Oscar."

She smiled. "From glee club." He nodded and she took his hand. "I'm Phyllis."

Before they could carry this conversation further, a blue car rolled up to the front of the school.

"There's my mom." She spoke unceremoniously. Saying their goodbyes, she left and Oscar went back to waiting.

Suddenly, he noticed a large white bus pull up to the front of the school. _Is there going to be a field trip?_ he wondered. On the side of the bus, in large blue letters, read the phrase 'Delview Foster Home'. He watched as Erin ran toward the bus. The doors opened for her and she climbed in. The doors closed as soon as she got on and the bus rattled away, almost as if it had never been there at all. _Huh, _thought Oscar. _That was weird as well.  
><em>  
>He wasn't able to reflect any more on it, sadly, before a high, shrill voice sliced through his thoughts.<p>

"Bye, Ryan!" Kelly yelled, perkily waving. He turned and put up a hand. "Love you!" He couldn't get out of there fast enough. Kelly sighed as she watched him go, doing her best to ignore the other snickering children. _Someday, he'll be the Chris Brown to my Rhianna. But without the beating, of couse.  
><em>  
>Ryan climbed into the car and did his best to ignore his older sister in the back seat, who was laughing at his misery. His mom greeted him with a smile. "Who was that? She seemed nice."<p>

Ryan sighed and slunk down in his seat. "Just drive, mom."

OOOOO

Angela would have watched this display of affection with disgust, later writing it down in her journal as 'disgraceful' and 'in public, no less'! At least, she would have if she had been there to witness it. But instead, she was blocks away, walking arm in arm with one Dwight Schrute. They made pleasant conversation until they reached her house, where Dwight walked her to her doorstep. They said their goodbyes and he kissed her hand (like respectable people do) before she went inside. It wasn't until she secretly watched him leave that she realized she didn't even know where he lived. Little did she know, Dwight lived much further away than she  
>could ever imagine. But it was okay. His parents wouldn't have picked him up anyway.<p>

OOOOO

Back at the school, Andy raced over to Jim, who was sitting on another bench.

"Was Erin here?" he asked, breathlessly.

"Yep. Just missed her." Andy collapsed next to Jim, exasperatedly.

"High school is hard." Jim looked over at another nearby bench, where Pam and Roy sat, laughing.

"Yep." He agreed, before turning to Andy. "But I'm sure it's got to be just as hard for everyone else, right?"


	7. Weekend

She felt a cold breeze drift past before she opened her eyes. She was in a field that stretched out as far she could see. The sky was a bright blue with pure white clouds scattered throughout. The sun warmed her back as the breeze rustled through her hair. Closing her eyes again, she realized that if she listened very hard, she could hear piano music playing softly in the distance. Slowly, she let herself relax. Finally, after a moment, a smile graced her face. Spreading her arms, she fell back into the strongly-scented grass. At last, she felt completely at peace.

Suddenly, her eyes sprung open and she sat up. _It couldn't be._ She breathed in deeply and her heart sank. There was no denying it: From somewhere far off, blowing in the breeze, she could smell the heavy scent of booze.

"Good morning, Mer-Mer!" came the purr of a voice. Her eyes opened, for real this time, and she saw her mom sitting on the edge of her bed. She could have cried. Instead, she watched as her mom gave her a smile before getting up and opening the curtains.

"Breakfast's downstairs." She nodded at her mother, unable to speak, and her mom smiled again before leaving.

She knew. Just by that short 'conversation', she knew. She knew her parents must have fought, again. She knew her mother must have left sometime late at night and gone to a bar for some alone time, again. She knew her mother had not slept at all that night, again. Why else would her eyes be so red? Why else would she be wearing the same clothes she wore last night? Why else would she completely reek of alcohol?

_Even in my dreams_, Meredith thought, fighting away tears. The one thing she wouldn't admit to herself, though, was why she was so angry about her dream. She had wanted it to be true.

Pushing away this thought, Meredith got out of bed and headed downstairs.

OOOOO

That morning, Kevin leaped out of bed, grinning. _What a wonderful day,_ he thought, getting dressed into day clothes. He breathed in deeply, reveling in the scent. _Pancakes on a Saturday morning? Can this day get any better?_

He walked into the kitchen and his mom turned away from the stove, smiling at him. She wore a light blue apron that wrapped around her tightly. It reminded Kevin of pigs in a blanket, but he would never say so. "I knew the smell would wake you up. And you got dressed! You're getting so grown up!" she cooed.

His father was already sitting at the table. Kevin couldn't see him from behind the newspaper he was holding, but somehow he knew that he rolled his eyes before saying, "Great. He got dressed. I'll alert the presses!"

Kevin's mother clucked her tongue. "Oh, be nice. So many teenagers are so reluctant to get up in the mornings. We're lucky to have such an agreeable boy!"

His father sighed through his nose, but didn't say anymore. His mother walked over to him and set a plate of pancakes in front of him.

"Maybe this will calm you down, grumpy-butt." Kevin giggled as she picked up another plate and handed it to him. He dug in and, after a moment, his mother did too. Finally, his father put the paper down and started to eat. His mom looked over at him.

"Like it?" He nodded, mouth full. "Good."

"Well, enjoy it," his father interjected. "'Cause I've got some news for you."

"Oh, can't it wait until after breakfast?" Kevin looked up.

"What is it?"

"You're signing up for a sport next semester." Kevin's heart sank. "Somewhere _else_ for you to focus your energy, somewhere other than," he peered over his glasses at him, "food."

"Oh, be nice." His mother cut in.

"He's had enough nice! And if you don't pick a sport, I'll pick one for you, and, trust me, you won't like what I'll choose."

"That's not until next semester. You're ruining what started out to be a perfectly good morning. Let's just eat."

"You can't baby him forever. One of these days, he's going to have to learn to be independent."

"He is independent! He got dressed this morning, didn't he?"

"That hardly counts!"

Kevin watched his parents argue back and forth, as a pit began to form in his stomach. _They rarely fight, but when they do, it's usually about me,_ he thought guiltily. Pushing the thought aside, he quietly ate another forkful of pancake.

OOOOO

Andy woke up that morning to the sound of a baby crying. He rolled over to look at the clock. Seeing the time, he groaned. Six 'o'clock. His father and Walter were already gone by now. They said something about a fishing trip last night, but Andy hadn't really paid attention. He knew that wouldn't have invited him anyway. He had still wanted to say goodbye though.

He followed the sound of the crying until he found himself in the living room. His mother sat in a green armchair, rocking his youngest brother, Dylan. When he walked in, she glanced up at him with tired eyes. He offered a wave and she waved back. The baby continued wailing.

"Andy," she shouted. "Would you come here for a second?" Slowly, he walked over and she held Dylan up to him. "Take him, please." She begged.

The second the baby was settled in his arms, it stopped crying. The room fell silent and his mother sighed audibly. He looked down into his baby brother's face, only to find he had fallen asleep. _At least he appreciates me._

"Thank you." She grinned up at him. "I knew we had you for a reason," she joked. Patting the seat next to her, he sat down slowly. "So, upset they left you behind again?" He nodded. She put her arm around him. "Honey, someday, your skills will pay off. The ability to silence a baby is worth more than the ability to fish, trust me." This elicited a small smile from him.

"Actually, there is this girl I know . . ." His mother raised her eyebrows and grinned.

"Really? Is she nice? Do I know her?"

"Mom," he gave her a look and she shook her head, still grinning.

"Sorry, I'm a mom, it's my job."

"Anyway, I really want to ask her out, but I don't know how." His mom stared into Dylan's tiny face and sighed.

"Don't worry, honey. You'll think of something. You always do."

OOOOO

"Time to clean the attic!" her mother announced, in her booming 'stage voice'. Kelly sighed, putting down the current teen magazine she was reading and standing up to help her.

"Where do you need me?" This wasn't the first time the Kapoor girls had done this. Being the only two in the house and, as far as Kelly was concerned, the family, a lot of the chores had to be done together.

"Well, last time, I was in the attic, throwing down boxes for you. Why don't we switch it up a bit this time?" Kelly nodded. She made her way up the ladder and into the hole in the ceiling. _Of course, I would never let my friends know I do chores. I mean, what would they think of me?_

Reaching the top, she stepped off the ladder and onto the wooden boards that made up the attic floor. Repressing the urge to sneeze at all the dust, she was simply glad for the lone light bulb that dangled a few feet above her head. There were boxes everywhere, full of goodness knows what. The temperature had changed with the altitude, but Kelly did her best to ignore the heat. Instead, she called down to her mother, "Okay, I'm up."

"Alright, good." The voice came from far off, as if Kelly were on a mountaintop. "First, toss down the box with '1963' written in blue marker on the side." She looked around and eventually found it. Walking over to it, she opened the lid and looked inside. _Just a bunch of files,_ she thought, dejectedly.

Kelly enjoyed looking inside the boxes before tossing them down. Not only because she hated to repress her own inner curiosity, but also because she had once found twenty bucks and an old doll from her childhood.

Tossing the box down the stairs, her mother caught it and tossed it aside. "Now what?"

"Now look for the box with '1972' written on it." This went on for a few hours until the number of boxes got down to the normal amount. Finally, her mother called up, "Last one. It says '1994' on the side."

_The year before I was born,_ Kelly thought. Finding it, she lifted the lid and looked inside. The box was nearly empty, filled with a bunch of news clippings and tabloid articles that had been cut out.

On the top, there was an article with a big picture of her mother on it. Granted, this was nothing new. It was no secret her mother used to be a huge star. Kelly knew the story backward and forwards. She worked her way up the social ladder and reached her peak in television and movies. Of course, this all happened before Kelly was born, so none of her friends knew her mom, but some of their parents did. Every once and a while, someone will say, "Wait, Kelly _Kapoor_? As in-" and she would nod eagerly. But one day, her mom had a 'fall from grace' and her career just ended. She wouldn't say what caused it and they didn't talk about it often.

Kelly picked up the article and skimmed it. "Laila Kapoor caught in the biggest scandal of the year!" She rolled her eyes. _Another magazine author trying to profit off my mother's fame._ "-May be the end of her career! – Caught in an affair of faux romance!" _An affair?_ She started to read a little closer.

"A mysterious figure, identified as a man, was seen leaving her hotel room late at night. He rushed away, but not before sharing a final kiss with Laila." There was a picture of 'the Shadow Man'. "Could this be the end of Laila's career?"

Putting down the article, Kelly did her best to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. She had never known her father. Could this man be . . . She flipped through the papers until she saw another article with her mother's name in the title.

"Laila's career is over!" There was a picture of her mother, smiling sadly. "Laila Kapoor has announced that she will no longer pursue a career in show business. She refused to comment when asked why. Perhaps this is getting a little personal, but does Laila look like she's been putting on a few pounds lately?" Kelly's heart stopped. "Perhaps this could be part of the reason for her departure?" _It was my fault,_ she thought, heart sinking.

She put down the article, tears in her eyes. _It was my fault._ Putting down the article, she flipped through the papers again until another title caught her eye.

"Name of 'the Shadow Man' revealed!" _Should I?_ Suddenly, she realized that decision was easy. _Screw him._ Carefully, she put all the articles back in the box and closed the lid. Throwing the box down to her mother, she slowly climbed down the stairs.

"What took you so long, Kel – Oof!" Kelly had grabbed her mom and hugged her tightly around the waist. It took her by surprise, but, after a moment, she hugged her back.

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too, sweetie."

OOOOO

Ryan slowly walked downstairs for lunch. His mother was about to set the table and his father was watching television. As he walked in, his mother looked up.

"Oh, Ryan, good. Will you help me?" He sighed.

"Sure."

"Will you put the silverware out?" He sighed again.

"Sure." Getting the silverware, he put the three utensils at each place before sitting down at his own. Soon, his mother came and placed the plates between the forks and spoons. After she had served the food, she called his father over. They all sat at their respective places before saying grace and digging in.

"So, how was your day, honey?" His mother asked.

"On Friday, I was working at the firm with Donahue and he told me that the boss had complimented me earlier. Said he thought I was doing a good job."

"Wonderful!"

"What about you, son?" Ryan looked up from his meal.

"Um, you guys know Kelly, right?" His mother smiled.

"She's a nice girl."

"Yeah. We're still together."

"Good." His mother smiled. "I could never keep a relationship that long when I was your age."

"That's because you didn't have me around," his father teased.

"Oh, you!" She playfully whacked his arm and Ryan rolled his eyes. "Oh, darn!"

"What is it?"

"I forgot the napkins!"

"I'll get them," Ryan offered, already starting to stand up. His parents continued the conversation as he walked into the kitchen. He got three napkins before looking back at his family.

_A snapshot of the modern, suburban family. One child, a successful working father, a happy marriage. Everything happy and gay . . . and so incredibly boring. Where are the late night arguments, the slamming doors, the overtly extensive presence of alcohol?_ He shook his head as he headed back to the table. _This is no good for my 'tell-all' novel._

OOOOO

For lunch, Michael made himself a sandwich from what was left in the fridge. _We'll have to go shopping soon,_ he had thought, making a mental note to tell his mother once she got home. After he finished lunch, he watched TV until the later hours. Soon, the door banged open and his mother stumbled into the apartment. And, as usual, she was not alone.

A man, who Michael guessed she had met at the club, walked in with her. He looked a little tipsy, but not nearly as tipsy as his mom looked. She almost fell as she came in, but he caught her just in time. She laughed and turned around to kiss him. He stopped her though, once he saw Michael.

"Hi, Carl," Michael said, waving. Carl waved back slowly. Michael had met Carl once before. Usually his mother's flings didn't last more than one or two nights, though. Then, she'd move on to another club and another man.

Michael's mom looked over at him and a look of disgust came over her face. It was only for a moment, though, but Michael saw it. She pulled away from Carl and stumbled over to Michael. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a twenty. She held it out to him and he took it, standing up.

"Go and find something to do." It was the same almost every day. He walked towards the door as he heard his mother say to Carl, "I'm going to go slip into something a little more comfortable. You can feel free to come, if you wish."

"I'll be right there." Michael stopped at the doorway and turned back towards Carl. "Hey, no hard feelings, man." Michael shook his head. He didn't want him to think he wasn't cool.

"Nah, of course not." Carl nodded and turned to leave, but before he could, Michael called after him. "Hey, while you're here, could I try something out on you?"

Carl risked a look at the bedroom door before turning back. " . . . Sure."

"Awesome." He cleared his throat. "How do you fix a woman's watch?"

"How?"

"You don't. There's a clock on the oven!" Carl laughed, which made Michael smile. "Cool, man. I've got to go, but that was a good one." He disappeared down the hall and into the bedroom. Michael smiled before leaving and closing the door behind him. _Gotta remember that one for Packer!_ He continued to smile as he walked away from the apartment, imagining Packer's reaction.

OOOOO

That Saturday night, the Hudson family could be found sitting around the dinner table, eating and engaging in a bit of conversation. And, when I say 'a bit', I mean 'a bit'.

"So, Stanley," his mom began. "I've been getting emails from your teachers lately. It's nothing bad, I mean, your grades are fine. Great, actually. It's just that . . . they feel like you don't pay attention during class. So, maybe, you could try a little harder? For me?"

He didn't even look up from the crossword he was working on. "Mmm," he grunted. His mother frowned and looked over at his father.

"Help me," she hissed.

He didn't even look up from the book he was reading. "Mmm," he grunted. His mother sighed.

"I'm so glad we have this time together." Her sarcasm was met with silence. "I should bring a book next time and we'll see how you two like it."

"Mmm," Stanley and his dad grunted at the same time. His mother sighed and finally accepted defeat, quietly eating her meal.

OOOOO  
>That Saturday night, Erin waited patiently in her bed, occasionally stealing glances from the other girls. That night was story night. It was the night Erin eagerly waited for every week. When the time eventually rolled around, the girls would wait for Mrs. Taylor to come in. She would be carrying a book and, once they all got settled in, she would read to them. It was the one thing Erin loved the most about being in foster care. Every once in a while, she would wonder if her parents would have read her stories, but thinking about her parents always gave her a 'butterflies in the stomach' feeling and made her sad, so she often tried not to do that.<p>

Suddenly, the door opened a crack and the girls held their breaths.

"Are my scurvy dogs ready for another chapter?" The girls grinned and shouted their approval. Mrs. Taylor stepped in with a flourish and closed the door behind her. "Ay, I though ye might."

They had been reading Treasure Island for the past few weeks, which explains the pirate accent.

Settling down in a wicker chair in front of the beds, Mrs. Taylor asked, "Alright, where did we leave off?" There was a flurry of answers.

"Jim's father dies!"

"And the captain warns him about a seafaring man with one leg!"

"But then the captain dies!"

Mrs. Taylor laughed. "Alright, alright. Here we are! Chapter four." As if she held some sort of magic, the girls quieted down and let her continue. Her voice changed as she read, becoming the voice of Jim Hawkins. "I lost no time, of course, in telling my mother all that I knew, and perhaps should have told her long before . . . ." Erin sighed, staring at the ceiling, letting the story sink in.

Mrs. Taylor worked at the front desk and, as far as Erin was concerned, she was one of the coolest people ever. She was nice and, when Erin got back from school, she would always say hello. She doubled as the 'aftercare teacher', for the younger kids who didn't have homework. Sometimes, Erin would finish her homework early, just so she could sit in on one of her lessons.

Mrs. Taylor had technically raised Erin herself and, for that, she was eternally grateful. The den mother, Mrs. Lovett, was a wonderful person, Erin was sure of that. She just didn't think of her as a mother. Mrs. Taylor had always been there for her, from the moment she had arrived at the orphanage. She was the one who had taken her inside and off the front doorstep, if Erin was one to believe the stories about it, and she was. Mrs. Taylor was the best mother she could have ever asked for and, as far as Erin was concerned, she was her mother.

But there were actually three teachers that had been at the Delview Foster Home as long as Erin had: Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Lovett and Mr. Gilmer. He was more of a teacher for the boys', but Erin had seen him once or twice before. Sometimes, she wondered if he told the boys stories. She doubted it. He seemed mean.

"It was already candle-light when we reached the hamlet," Mrs. Taylor continued, "and I shall never forget how much I was cheered to see the yellow shine in doors and windows . . . ."

The sound of her voice calmed Erin and, soon, she fell asleep. Of course, she wasn't alone. By the time she was done, all the girls had drifted off. Closing the book softly, she got up and began to walk out of the room. Once she reached the doorway, however, she turned back and looked over all the sleeping faces.

"Good night, my angels," she whispered before leaving and softly closing the door behind her.

OOOOO

Oscar woke up late that Sunday morning. He walked downstairs into the living room. His mom sat on the couch, watching TV. He came and sat next to her quietly.

"You're up early." She didn't turn to him when she spoke, but Oscar knew she was talking to him. Mainly because there wasn't anyone else in the room.

"Yeah. Dad gone?"

"Church, yeah." When Oscar had come out, his parents had let him chose whether or not he wanted to be religious. He decided against it, which saddened his father, he could tell. Now, on Sundays, his father would leave early and come back around lunch, while Oscar stayed home with his mom.

"Did you do your homework?" She asked. He nodded. "Well, what do you want to do today?"

"Actually, I wasn't thinking about doing anything."

"Good." She smiled at him. "'Cause I wasn't thinking about doing anything either."

For the rest of the afternoon, they simply sat and watched TV. At one point, Oscar got his book and read a bit. Ultimately, it was a very calm day for the Martinez family.

OOOOO

"Let's go!" Angela's mom shouted from the bottom of the stairs.

"I'm coming!" Angela hollered back. She looked around her room, making sure everything was in place. Walking over to her dresser, she opened a drawer and pulled out the picture of Dwight she had drawn. Hugging it, she placed it back in the drawer before running out of her room and down the stairs.

Most Sundays were like this. Hectic and rushed. Most people wouldn't like this, but Angela wouldn't have it any other way. She liked getting her homework done on Saturday, so she could have the next day entirely free. She liked waking up early the next morning and putting on one of her fancy dresses. She liked everything about Sunday because it gave her world a bit of structure. If she could change something, though, she'd make it so the rest of her family would come with them.

Her father and her younger sister had decided not to be religious. Granted, this had broken Angela's heart, but she tried not to let it show and, instead, did her best to be a good example. If they ever changed their minds, she wanted to be there for them. And, if the Rapture happened to come early, she wanted to be able to say 'I told you so'. It's human nature.

Her mee-maw, who lived with them, was still on the fence about church, though. Angela took as a small victory.

She and her mom drove down the road to church quietly. Suddenly, Angela was pulled out of her thoughts when her mother said, "Angie, look!" She was pointing to the right at a large field. Two teams were there, one in red, one in blue, kicking around a soccer ball. This would have bored Angela, but, at last, she realized what her mother had noticed. The team in red was entirely made up of Indians.

"It's the Heathen league!" Her mother joked.

"Or the Hindu league!" Angela added. They laughed as the car passed the field. After a moment, her mother turned up the radio.

"I love this song!" She began to sing along, albeit off-key. "Head under water and you tell me to breathe easy for a while. The breathing gets harder. Even I know that."

Angela smiled and joined in. "You made room for me, but it's too soon to see if I'm happy in your hands. I'm unusually hard to hold onto."

"Blank stares at blank pages, no easy way to say this."

"You mean well, but you make this hard on me."

"I'm not gonna write you a love song!" They dueted loudly. Both grinned happily and continued singing. Before long, they reached the church and her mom turned off the radio. As she walked inside, Angela took a deep breath and tried to soak everything in. People were everywhere, some talking in groups, others sat alone on benches. They made their way into the main room and sat in one of the nearby benches. Angela clicked her heels on the tiled floor once more, loving the noise it made.

The main room was enormous, holding two rows of benches that filled the room. At the front of the room, to the side, was the pulpit, currently empty. Behind that were four more benches, also empty. They were for the choir, which consisted of numerous 'regulars' and whoever was willing to volunteer. To left and right were stained glass windows with beautiful designs on them. Once, when she was little, Angela had wanted to design church windows. She decided against it though when she realized how high some of them were. She had a fear of heights from an early age.

Suddenly, she noticed the choir was walking to their benches. The room quickly got quiet and people shuffled to their seats. Soon, the minister came and stood at the pulpit. He turned and made a gesture, allowing the choir to sit down. Turning forward again, he said, "Good morning." The greeting echoed through the room from his microphone.

"Good morning," the congregation answered as one.

Angela smiled as the service got started. _It's nice to have a safe place._

OOOOO

Four thirty a.m. Sharp. That's when Dwight Schrute pulled himself out of bed and started tending the farm. _Those city folk who think they're getting up early for religious services could never do this,_ he thinks every Sunday morning. By six thirty a.m., he was done with the necessary business and could go inside for breakfast.

He walked into the kitchen, where his father already sat at the table. Dwight's food sat on his plate, untouched.

"You better hurry," his father warned. "It's getting cold."

"Sorry."

"Before you do, though – " Dwight nodded. He knew what he wanted him to do. He took the third plate of food and started walking upstairs. Once he reached the top, he walked into his bedroom. Slowly opening the door, he saw a figure sitting on the second bed.

"Mose?" The figure looked up. Dwight walked forward and handed the plate to his cousin. Mose took it gratefully.

Originally, Dwight's father had been opposed to Mose joining the family. Heck, he still was opposed to it. It had been Dwight's mother who had made a case for him. She thought it was disgraceful that, just because he was different, they were going to put him out on the street. Dwight's father had tried to explain that they wouldn't put him out on the street. They would put him in a very nice foster home. But it was pointless and he knew it. Mose stayed. If only she had.

Dwight was seven years old. Mose had been living at the house for six and a half years. The relationship between his dad and his mom had gotten pretty bad over those seven years. So, really, Dwight shouldn't have been surprised by what he saw. But, when he walked into his parents room to see his mother quietly packing her bags, he was admittedly taken aback.

She made him swear not to tell. The next morning, she was gone. When his father asked if he'd known anything about it, he had said no. It was the first time he had lied to his father. It was also the first time he had seen him as a person, as capable of hope and pain as anyone else. He rarely saw that side of his father.

"So, Mose," Dwight began. The figure didn't move. "The first week of school was last week. But, you can join in anytime." Dwight was always trying to get Mose to go to school. It hadn't worked yet, but that didn't mean he was ready to stop trying.

"Alright, then." He sighed. "I'm gonna go downstairs." Mose slowly looked up at him. "Okay?" He nodded.

As Dwight left, he closed the door behind him. Releasing a breath, he started back down the stairs.

OOOOO

Pam walked into the living room where her father was watching TV.

"Mom's still at work?" He nodded silently. Pam's mother had a very demanding job that sometimes caused her to work weekends. Pam didn't mind. The more time her mother spent out of the house, the less time her parents would spend fighting. She came and sat next to her dad. They watched the TV in silence for a moment before he spoke up.

"So . . . you finish your homework?"

"Yep." Silence. He cleared his throat.

"Are you still dating that Anderson kid?"

"Roy? Yeah."

"Oh . . . good." She would dare say it out loud, much less to her father, but she'd started to doubt her feelings for Roy. Ever since she'd met Jim, her relationship didn't seem to have the same spark it used to. When she truly thought about it, she couldn't remember if their relationship had ever really had a spark.

"There anything you want to watch?"

"What?" She'd been lost in her thoughts.

"Is there anything you want to watch? 'Cause, if not, I'm gonna watch the news, if that's okay."

"No, no, that's fine." She started to stand up. "Actually, I think there's something I forgot to do." Pam's father presumed she meant her homework.

"Alright, well, maybe when you're done, we can do something?" His voice raised up at the end, as if it were a question. Of course, both of them knew they wouldn't get around to doing anything together. Still, every once and a while, they would entertain the notion.

"Yeah, sure." Pam quickly left her father and hurried to her room. Closing the door behind her, she picked up the phone from the table beside her bed. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she carefully dialed the number and waited for someone to pick up.

"Hello?" The response came from the other side of the phone call. "This is Pam Beesley. Is Roy home?" She waited while the voice called for him. "Hello? Hi, Roy! It's Pam. I was wondering if you, maybe, wanted to come over this weekend and we could . . ." Her face fell. "Oh. Oh, no, that's fine. I understand. Okay, later's cool. No, no, it's fine. Okay, bye."

Slowly, she hung up the phone. Sighing, she leaned back and lay flat on her bed. _I need to make some more friends_, she admitted to herself. _And soon._

OOOOO

Jim sat around the dinner table with his family. Pete and Tom sat across from each other. They were nudging each other and giggling. His father sat at one end of the table, still wearing his suit for work. He kept trying, unsuccessfully, to throw disapproving looks at the boys. Neither one noticed. His mother sat at the other end of the table, silently. His sister, Larissa, sat next to him. She was reading a book underneath the table and, secretly, Jim didn't blame her. He wished he'd brought a book as well, anything to distract him from the almost silent dinner table. Finally, his father spoke up.

"Larissa." She looked up, jarred. "Give me your book." Slowly, she gave to Jim, who gave it to his father. He flipped through it before looking back up at her. "School or pleasure?"

"Pleasure." She wouldn't make eye contact. His father pursed his lips and set the book next to him.

"You know we're not allowed to read at the table."

"Yes, sir." His mother spoke up.

"What's it about?" The girl looked up and smiled slightly.

"A seventh grade girl with cerebral palsy gets a machine to help her speak. Eventually, she has to decide between the world of the 'normal' kids, who are capable, but cruel, and the kids from her old classroom, who have all kinds of disabilities, but are all kind-hearted. It's sad, but enlightening because – "

"So, Jim," his father interrupted, scaring all of them and causing Larissa to fall silent. "Are you going to try out for basketball?"

"Um, of course I am," he complied. "But that's not until next semester."

"Oh, that's right." Pete and Tom were still giggling. He turned to them. "If you boys don't cut it out, I swear – "

"Cut what out?" Pete asked.

"We aren't doing anything, dad." Tom agreed. Their father just gave them both a look.

"I don't care. Whatever it is, quit it." His tone was low and frightening. Both boys quickly quieted down.

"Do you really have to treat them like that?" Jim's mother asked. He glanced up at her. "I mean, you treat them like you're a drill sergeant."

"That's how my father treated me. With an iron fist." Jim had heard this speech a hundred times. "We woke a full hour earlier than these three and got to bed an hour earlier. He treated us harshly and mercy on you if he caught you acting up. And you know what? We were happy. We were grateful." Jim saw Pete mouthing the words along with his father and repressed a smirk. "I don't appreciate – "

"I know that's how he raised you, honey. But what's wrong with a little fun? A little joking around?" She reached out and lightly punched Tom's shoulder. He grinned and punched Pete's shoulder. Pete, having not seen this domino effect, turned and punched Tom in the stomach, hard.

"Ow!"

"Don't punch me!"

"Boys, upstairs! Now!" Their father yelled, slamming a fist on the table. The force of it caused his fork to hit the floor. No one noticed in all the commotion. Both boys opened their mouths to object, but receive the same harsh look. Sadly, they trudged upstairs. His father gave his mother a look. "That's why."

"But – "

"I don't want to hear anymore about this tonight. Not in front of the kids." He turned to Jim. "Jim, go get me another fork, please."

Silently, Jim got up and walked to the kitchen. He opened the silverware drawer and his eyes widened. The entire drawer was encased in yellow jello.

Hearing his brother's giggles, he looked back at the staircase. Both boys grinned like maniacs, but, once his father saw them, they raced back upstairs. Jim's father got up and walked into the kitchen. His face fell when he saw the drawer.

"I'm going to bed." He left and the room fell back into silence. Jim glanced back over at the table, where his mother and his sister ate quietly. Neither one lifted their head when the bedroom door slammed. Jim sighed. _It's just another day._

OOOOO

_It's just like any other Sunday,_ Phyllis thought to herself, in an attempt at unearthing a little more bravery. _You can do this._

She walked down the hallway and stopped in front of her parents' bedroom. The door was closed, as usual. Phyllis looked down at the plate of food in her hands before whispering a prayer and slowly opening the door.

The room was dark. There was one window, but the curtains were closed. At the other side of the room, there was a shadow of a bed. The blankets on the bed were raised, indicating someone was underneath them. Phyllis took another step inside before calling out to the figure.

"Mom?"

"Shut the door, honey. It's so bright." She did as she asked. As the door closed, the room became twice as dark. She could barely see her hand in front of her face.

"Could I turn on a light?" There was a sigh.

"If you must." She reached for the light switch next to the door. Flicking it on, the lamp on her mothers' side of the bed turned on. Her mother groaned and sat up.

"Did you bring me dinner?"

"Yeah." Phyllis started walking to her mother.

"Oh, that's so sweet of you." She reached out and Phyllis let her kiss the top of her head. "Not like your brother, what is he doing?"

"I don't know." _Or care._

"Well, thank you." She took the plate from her. When their hands touched, Phyllis could feel how weak her mother was. She made a worried face, which her mother must have seen.

"Oh, it's fine. I just felt a little tired." Phyllis didn't dare to point out that her mother had felt 'a little tired' every day for the past two weeks. She'd been going to bed earlier and earlier each night. This was the third time Phyllis had had to bring dinner to her. Truthfully, it scared her.

"Okay. I'm gonna go finish my homework." Her mother gave her a look.

"You haven't finished yet?" Phyllis put her hands out in a defensive pose.

"It's just one assignment and it's short." She shrugged. "It's math."

"Oh." Her mother nodded, understanding.

"I was going to ask Gabe for help." Her mother smiled at her.

"Well, hurry up. It's Sunday night." Phyllis started walking back to the door.

"Alright, I will. Good night, mom."

"Good night, honey. And turn off the light when you leave." She looked back at her mom and frowned.

"You're going to eat in the dark?"

"The light gives me a headache." Phyllis shrugged and did as she asked. As she left, she closed the door lightly behind her. Walking down the hallway, she made her way to her brother's bedroom door. It was closed, as usual. She opened it, giving no regard to the numerous 'Keep Out!' signs. He was sitting cross-legged on the bed, writing in his journal. When the door opened, he looked up and frowned.

"Hey! Anybody ever teach you to knock?" He got up and started towards the door.

"Will you help me with my homework?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Oh, when you put it like that . . . no." He grabbed the door and started to close it on her. She put her hands flat on the outside of the door, but her strength was no match for his. He was a year younger than her, but was still stronger. The door closed in her face. She reached for the doorknob, but it was too late – She heard the click of a lock.

"Please?" she shouted.

"Ask dad!" he shouted through the door. She sighed and gave up. Heading into the main room, she saw her father sitting on the end of the sofa. He was reading a thick book, holding it underneath a lamp.

"You know, you can turn on the light if you want." He looked up at the sound of her voice. She pointed to the ceiling, where a light hung attached to a fan. He shook his head.

"The light upsets your mother. Gives her a headache." Phyllis nodded.

"Yeah, I've heard that." He closed his book and smiled at her.

"So, what can I do ya for?"

"Will you help me with my math?" He made a face.

"Ooh, I don't know. The math you do nowadays, I'm not sure an old guy like me could understand all this 'new math' of yours." She grinned, knowing he was joking.

"I promise not to make fun of your lack of skill, if you don't make fun of mine."

"Mmm, deal." She grabbed her math book of the table and handed it to him. After she sat down next to him, she took it back and opened it to the correct page. Handing it back to him, he looked over it, occasionally making 'thinking noises' in order to make her laugh.

If she were being truly honest, she didn't need help with her math. She just liked doing it with her father. Strange for a senior, she knew. But, it gave her life some structure.

_Still,_ she though suddenly. _I can't help but feel this is the calm before the storm._

OOOOO

Creed's weekend was fine, thank you very much. That's all you need to know.

Song used: 'Love Song' by Sara Bareilles

A/N: The book Larissa described is called 'Out of my Mind' by Sharon M. Draper. I like it, so I put it in. : )

Please hug your parents/parental guardians tonight. For me.


	8. Holly

A/N: Just want to mention something I didn't mention in the last chapter: I don't own Treasure Island. It was written by Robert Louis Stevenson. Sorry to those who thought I own it. I don't. By the way, this chapter is not anywhere near as long as the last one was. In fact, the next eight chapters seem to be normal sized as well. So, enjoy! : )

"Jan, wait up!" Michael chased after her. Eventually, she stopped and let him catch up. "I haven't seen you in a while, so I never got to tell you something." He gave her a big smile. "Guess what I did!"

She sighed. "I've heard a lot about things you've done, Michael, not a one of them good. You'll have to be more specific."

He exhaled with exasperation. "Well, this one's good. I started a glee club!"

She stopped and looked at him with wide eyes. "Really?" She stretched out the syllables, as if she didn't believe him. He nodded, oblivious.

"Yep. People from all four grade levels tried out. There are fifteen people in the class, plus the teacher." He stopped to reflect. "Truthfully, this has all gone much better than I thought it would."

"I would say so." She started to walk away again, but he moved in front of her. "What, Michael?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, it just seems like you don't . . . "

She sighed again. "I believe you, Michael."

"Then why don't you try out?"

"I believe in keeping my personal and my educational lives separate."

"But we're in the same class!"

"Michael." Her tone indicated the conversation was over. His sad face broke her resolve, however, and she gave him a kiss. "I'll see you after school, okay?"

"Okay." He watched her go before heading off to his own class: AP Biology.

Sitting down dejectedly in one of the middle rows, he didn't notice the girl sitting next to him until she spoke.

"Rough day?" she guessed. Michael looked over, surprised. She had long blond hair and sharp physical features. To Michael, she looked positively stunning.

"Um, sort of."

She nodded, knowingly. "You know what I always say:" she gently nudged him. "Life's not a garden, so stop being such a hoe." She smiled at Michael, which made him smile in return.

"Are you new?" he asked. "I would have noticed you if you weren't-"

She nodded, cutting him off. He put out his hand.

"I'm Michael." She took it.

"Holly Flax."

OOOOO

Oscar walked into the lunchroom, looking over the heads of the other students. He saw Kevin sitting at their regular table and raised his hand in a greeting. It was then that he realized Angela was occupying the chair across from him. Once he got over the initial shock, he rushed over.

It's safe to say, Angela and Oscar had never been friends. They met freshman year and just did their best to stay out of each other's way. When Oscar came out sophomore year, however, things changed. Angela started spending more time with him, hanging out with him more. When he asked, she admitted that she felt bad about walking away from their friendship and, as head of the celibacy club, it was her job to be friendly. Soon, Oscar realized that she was trying to 'cure' him with friendship. Immediately after this discovery, he kindly told her to butt the heck out of his life. Since then, things had gone back to normal. But now, here she was talking to Kevin, his only friend. His, unfortunately, very trusting and easily swayed friend. If she convinced him that Oscar was a bad friend, he would be all alone . . . again. And there was no way he would let that happen.

"Um, excuse me?" He reached the table and both looked up at him, Kevin with happy surprise, Angela with mild distain.

"Hi, Oscar." Kevin smiled up at him. "Angela was just talking about how-"

"I don't think I want to know what she was talking about, Kevin." Oscar said, cutting him off, never taking his eyes off Angela. He grabbed Kevin's arm and began to try to pull him up. "Why don't we sit somewhere else today?"

Kevin started to protest, but then he saw Oscar's pleading looks and became quiet. Shooting an apologetic look towards Angela, he got up and walked away with Oscar. He waited until they were sitting at a new table, out of earshot, before whispering, "What was all that about?"

"Nothing, Kevin," Oscar said, distractedly. He looked back at where Angela was sitting, but her chair was pulled out and the table was empty. "Nothing you need to worry about."

OOOOO

Andy at his lunch happily with the rest of his crew, but he found it hard to focus on the conversation. Sandwich and Jingle Jangle were arguing about what number to do for the school's talent show. Broccoli Rob and Carl 1 were watching the cheerleaders out of the lunchroom window and catcalling. Sparerib and Carl 2 were debating who was a better character: Fabrizio from Light in the Piazza or Antony from Sweeney Todd. Usually, Andy would be right in the middle of it all, but he was a little preoccupied at the moment.

Erin sat a few tables away, laughing with her friends. Andy sighed, watching her contentedly. She was so beautiful and so joyful. She seemed like a really nice person. _I'm sure that, when I get the courage to talk to her, I'll know for sure. But, until then-  
><em>  
>"Yo, Boner Champ." Andy looked up quickly when he heard Sparerib use his nickname. He tried to pretend he hadn't been gazing at Erin.<p>

"Yeah?"

"If you could play either character, which would you pick: Fabrizio or Tobias?"

Andy thought for a moment. "Honestly, I've always wanted to play Marius from Les Miserables."

"HA!" A voice thundered from behind Andy and he whipped around to see Packer, laughing. Sauntering up to him, Packer looked at Andy, mockingly. "That's the gayest thing I've ever heard." He turned back to the rest of the football team, who were sitting at his table. "Do you guys hear this?"

"Shut up, Packer." Kelly called from another table. Packer turned towards her and grinned.

"What are you going to do? Sic the lunch monitor on me?" Kelly and Packer continued to spar verbally, while the rest of the lunchroom looked on. Andy did his best to be invisible and, as he was looking away, he caught Erin's eye. She offered him a look of sympathy and rolled her eyes at Packer. She grinned, which made Andy grin. They had a moment of silence, a moment which, afterwards, Andy would put in his diary, calling it 'wonderful' and 'extraordinary'. In the commotion, no one noticed Oscar get up and quietly leave the room.


	9. Oscar and Kevin

"Hey, Erin!" She turned, her hands full of the books for her next class. She really was in a rush, but she didn't want to seem rude. Besides, Andy seemed like a cool person.

"Hey, Andy!" she smiled energetically, as if to make up for the fact that she couldn't wave. He ran up to her.

"Hey, um," _Okay, here we go. The Nard dog has now got the girl in his sights. He's stalked her, he's hunted her down, and now . . . it's time._ He took a deep breath and tried to swallow. "Would you, um, be willing-" _Be willing? Predators don't ask their prey if they're 'willing'!_ As he mentally argued with himself, Erin just watched him, with her wide eyes. Eventually, the silence had gone on too long.

"Um, Andy, I have to get to class." 

"Will you go out with me?" he blurted, a bit unceremoniously, but hey, at least he said it.

Her eyes widened and Andy's heart nearly stopped. "Um, wait, I didn't mean to . . ."

She shook her head. "No, it's just-I can't."

He paused, waiting for her to continue. Unfortunately, she didn't. She just gave him a small nod and turned away, starting to walk to her next class.

Once he regained the ability to speak, he called after her, "Why?"

She turned back and offered him an apologetic smile. "Reed told me I can't and I've known him longer."

She ran off as Andy watched in amazement. _Reed? . . . Who the heck is Reed?_ He shook his head slowly and started to walk away in the opposite direction, trying to ease the blow to his ego. As he walked past a trash can, he felt a surge of anger and kicked it over. The metal hit the ground with a loud crash. Andy jumped back and looking back, checking to see if anyone had heard. Of course, numerous other people also changing classes had heard and were now looking over, trying to see where it had come from. Smiling widely, he tried to pretend that he hadn't done anything before nonchalantly running away.

OOOOO

Oscar stood at the window of the empty classroom. He had seen Andy's painfully embarrassing attempt to ask Erin out. He shook his head and chuckled softly. _He'll never learn.  
><em>

All of a sudden, he heard a throat clear behind him. Spinning around, he found himself face-to-face with another boy who looked to be about a year older than him. The boy was light-skinned with chestnut brown hair. His eyes were a light green and they were currently gleaming with excitement. Immediately, Oscar stepped back. 

"Sorry." He side-stepped the boy and was about to leave when he heard a voice.

"Do you spy on all your friends or just the interesting ones?" 

" . . . Just the interesting ones." He felt the boy come closer and feared that he would hear his heart beating. _This is ridiculous. What am I doing here? I'm in the wrong story._ The boy soon appeared in his line of vision. 

"You're funny. Do you go to school here?" Oscar nodded. "Cool. My sister goes here too." 

Suddenly, Oscar was more than aware of his beating heart and his nervous composure. Ducking his head, he tried to side-step the boy. "Look, I have to get to class." 

The boy, with surprising speed, moved in front of him. "You didn't seem to be in such a rush until I came in." The boy, so slowly Oscar was barely able to register what was happening, stepped forward until he was inches away from him. He leaned in and whispered in his ear. "Call me sometime." Oscar felt him push a slip of paper into his pocket. "I have the feeling you'd be calmer in some other setting." 

The boy stepped back and walked out of the room, as if nothing had happened. Oscar took a deep breath and sunk into a nearby chair. _What was that? . . . Was that me? Was that him? Did a prince really-  
><em>

All of a sudden, he heard a throat clear near the doorway. Jumping up, he announced, "I didn't do anything!" Looking over in the general direction of the noise, he saw Kevin. Sighing with relief, he cried, "Why does everyone feel the need to scare me today?" 

Kevin ignored the question. "Hello, Oscar." 

"Hello, Kevin." Oscar replied, annoyed. _How much did he see?_ He looked over to find Kevin staring at him with a creepy smile on his face. _Everything. That's it, I'm done for._ Ducking his head, Oscar headed towards the door and said, "Kevin, could you please move? I don't want to be late to class." 

Kevin moved reluctantly, but, as he did, he said, "So, you and that guy . . ." 

"I don't want to talk about it." Oscar tried to move away quickly, but Kevin kept up with him. 

"Are you sure? 'Cause it seems like you really do want to talk about it." 

"I don't." He said, forcefully. He stopped in front of the front doors of the school and turned to him. "Look, nothing happened. But no one can know about this." 

Kevin narrowed his eyes, trying to understand. "Is it because of Angela?" Oscar sighed. "Because I promise I won't tell her!" 

Oscar shook his head. "It's not just Angela. It's just . . . you can't tell anyone, okay?" 

Kevin nodded. Before Oscar could leave however, Kevin took him by the shoulders and said, "But, just so you know . . . if you were gay, that'd be okay. I mean, 'cause hey, I'd like you anyway. Because, you see, if it were me, I would feel free to say that I was gay . . . but, I'm not gay." 

" . . . That's very nice, Kevin, thank you. Now I have to go to-" 

"If you were queer-" 

"Okay, I guess I'm staying here for now." 

"I'd still be here." 

"That's great. Kevin-" 

"Year after year-" 

"Kevin, p-people are walking." He looked around, nervously. 

"Because you're dear to me." Kevin wrapped Oscar in a bear hug and Oscar tried to pull back. 

"Kevin, I have to go-" He released him from the hug, but continued singing. 

"And I know that you-" 

" . . . Yes?" 

"Would accept me too-" 

"Of course, I would." 

"If I told you, today, that I was gay, but I'm not gay." 

"Of course, you're not. . . . So, can I go to class now or are we still-" 

"If . . . you . . . were . . . gay!" Kevin sang in a very showy end-of-song fashion while doing jazz hands. 

"Nope, we're still doing this." 

"I'd shout 'Hooray!'" Kevin threw his hands up in the air and Oscar had to smile. "And here I'd stay," he leaned towards Oscar and winked at him. "But I wouldn't get in your way." 

Oscar stepped back, wide-eyed. "Okay . . ." 

"You can count on me to always be . . ." Kevin stepped back and struck a pose for each line he sang. "beside you everyday," He pointed at Oscar and Oscar nodded, encouragingly, waiting for the song to be over. "To tell you it's okay." He made the okay sign. "You were just born that way." He struck a very 'Lady Gaga' pose, which was adorable. "And, as they say, it's in your DNA!" He shrugged and put his hands out towards Oscar. "You're gay!" 

Oscar's eyes widened as he looked around, hoping no one had heard. "I'm not gay!" He hissed. 

Kevin nodded quickly, remembering their agreement. Leaning against a nearby wall, he nonchalantly added, "If you were gay." When his song ended, Kevin beamed and faced Oscar. He bowed deeply as Oscar clapped sarcastically. 

"Great, Kevin. Can I get to class now?" Suddenly realizing what he had done might not have made Oscar feel better, Kevin's smile faded and he lowered his head. 

"Yeah." He mumbled, disheartened. Oscar's shoulders dropped and he sighed, feeling guilty. 

"Um, Kev?" Kevin looked up and Oscar patted his shoulder. "You're a good friend." 

Kevin's smile returned. "Aw, come here!" He grabbed Oscar and forced him into another bear hug. 

"Okay, okay, okay." He released him and Oscar ran off in the direction of his classroom. Kevin smiled, watching him go. 

"I am a good friend."

Song used: 'If You Were Gay' from Avenue Q (and a tiny bit of 'Moments In the Woods' from Into the Woods)

I can't figure out how to edit my chapters after I submit them. If I knew how to do it, I could put this in the first chapter, but, since I don't, I'll just put it here:

All the songs I use, in any chapter, past, present or future, I don't own. If I do end up owning a song, I'll let you know, but don't hold your breath. : )


	10. Pam and Roy

A/N: Youtube addresses have been placed at the bottom of the chapters with the songs. : )

Pam stood at Roy's locker, books in hand, waiting for him to come and walk to class with her. Soon, he arrived.

"Hey, Pam." He said, pulling his books out of his locker.

"Hey, Roy." She answered shyly, leaning back against the metal. He looked over at her and smiled. She smiled back before asking, "How was History?"

Roy groaned and stuck his head back into his locker. "Oh, you know, Mr. James was hassling the rest of the guys for not finishing the assignment and, when they told him they were stuck in basketball practice until ten, he-"

At that moment, Packer walked by. He made eye contact with Pam and smiled cruelly. Her eyes widened and she stood up straight, stiffening.

"-But, they figured out a way to get out of it, anyway, so it didn't really-" Roy pulled his head out of his locker and looked up at Pam. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Huh? . . . Oh, yeah, I'm fine." She answered, not taking her eyes off Packer. Roy followed her line of vision, catching a glimpse of Packer before he disappeared down the hallway. _That-That . . . scum! That lowlife!_ His heart rate quickened and he clenched his jaw, thinking of all the horrible things he would do if he got his hands on him. He tried to calm his anger, though, for Pam. It scared her sometimes.

"That guy bothering you again?" He asked, trying to sound nonchalant. Pam nodded and he could see the fear in her eyes. "You know, all you have to do is ask and I'd get rid of him for you."

Pam smiled slightly. "Oh, I wouldn't ask you to do anything like that."

Roy closed his locker before looking deeply into her eyes. "You know I'd do it if you asked me to, though, right?" She looked up at him, confused. He smiled. "I'd do anything for you, Pam."

She grinned. "Oh, Roy." She laughed, playfully swatting his arm before turning towards her next class. His eyes widened as he tried to keep up the pace with her.

"I'm serious!" She nodded, obviously humoring him. He sighed before stopping her. "Nothing's gonna harm you, not while I'm around. Nothing's gonna harm you, no sir, not while I'm around." He gestured in the direction that Packer had gone. "Demons are prowling everywhere, nowadays." He smiled brightly, standing up a bit straighter. "I'll send 'em howlin', I don't care." He winked. "I got ways."

She laughed before she continued moving again. "Roy, that's a lovely gesture, but I'm sure it won't be necessary."

He ran after her, still thinking she didn't believe him. He stopped her again, standing in front of her. "Not to worry! Not to worry! I may not be smart, but I ain't dumb." She tried to walk around him, but he moved back in front of her. "I can do it! Put me to it! Show me something I can overcome!" He took her hand, lovingly. "Not to worry, ma'am."

She kept her grasp on his hand as she pulled him down the hallway. Holding her hand extinguished his flame of rage a little, but he still had to make one thing clear. Turning to her, he said, "Being close and being clever ain't like being true. I don't need to, I won't never hide a thing from you - Like some . . ." He looked back in the direction of Packer as she patted his hand.

"I won't hide things from you, I promise." She swore, seeming to realize that he needed to hear this.

They had reached the front of the choir room, Pam's next class. She let go of his hand and was about to leave. She stopped, though, when she heard his voice coming from behind her.

"No one's gonna hurt you. No one's gonna dare. Others can desert you, not to worry, whistle, I'll be there!" Slowly, she turned to face him. His face was so honest and truthful that she couldn't help the warm feeling blossoming in her chest. "Demons'll charm you with a smile, for a while, but in time," he took a step towards her. "Nothing's gonna harm you . . . not while I'm around."

Pam smiled, her eyes full of a mixture of attraction and pity. She stood on her tip-toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Pulling back, she whispered, "You are so sweet." She stepped back. "But, you really don't have to worry about me."

She waved goodbye before walking into class. After a moment, Roy turned and started to walk away. Soon, he felt the usual tug in his chest and turned back. Walking up to the now-closed door of the classroom, he peered through the window. He scanned the room full of students for Pam and soon he saw her. His spirits brightened seeing her full, beautiful smile that she so rarely wore. Then, he saw who was putting that smile on her face, who was sitting next to her, talking to her. They were laughing and joking like old friends. Roy's heart rate quickened and he clenched his jaw again. _Jim.  
><em>  
>As Roy watched the scene unfolding before him, he swore to himself that he would find a way to get Jim out of the picture. <em>. . . And she was beautiful, and she was virtuous, and he was . . . naïve.<em>

Songs used: 'Not While I'm Around' (www . youtube . com / watch?v=yNL20003W9M) and 'The Barber and His Wife' (www. youtube. com / watch?v=EYxRIYGQE-o) from Sweeney Todd


	11. Invitation

A/N: I meant to put this in the previous chapter, and did, but I did it after I submitted it. So, to Sudoku and anyone else who may be wondering, Toby will be coming in at some point. Just not yet. All in good time, my friends.

It was nearing Halloween at Scranton High and the entire school was abuzz with excitement. If by excitement, you mean apathy. Sadly, very few of the teens cared too much about the upcoming holiday season. Granted, there were numerous blatant exceptions. Angela's family had booked a flight to see her grandmother for Christmas and Kevin walked into school with a neon orange shirt the week before Halloween, just to 'boost the festive spirit'. Beyond the few exceptions, though, no one really cared about what horrible attempt the school was going to make at making the next few weeks all about togetherness and competition, family values and political correctness, Christmas and Hanukkah, all mushed together like gummi bears on a hot day.

No, most kids didn't care at all about any of this. And who would? But, what most of them did care about was social hierarchy. Two months into school, little of this had been decided. Of course, many children had their hearts set on being in this yet-to-be-decided hierarchy. How to go about attaining this goal, though? This question was answered by one Ryan Howard, when, one day, he found an unsigned note stuffed into his locker, inviting him to 'one of the greatest parties ever thrown', as advertised by the note.

Now, what does Ryan do with the information granted upon him, information that could possibly make him the most powerful person in the school? Well, he did what any other teenager with a fully equipped brain would do: share the information with as many people that would listen.

So, the glee club certainly got an earful that day. An earful of certain things like 'you can invite whoever you want, I guess' and 'it's BYOB, duh'. Soon, everyone was chattering excitedly about the big plans they now had.

"Hey, Erin." The red-haired girl turned to see Kelly grinning down at her. "Are you going?"

"Um, I guess so . . ." Over the past few weeks, Kelly and Erin had become fast friends. The first thing Kelly had done, as an act of friendship, was force her to change her name. Instead, she went by her middle name: Erin. They were practically inseparable.

"Awesome, because I just had the greatest idea ever. You can come to my house on the day of the party and we can have makeovers!"

"Great . . ."

"I'm gonna ask Ryan if he'll be my date." She turned away, but almost immediately turned back. "Do you have a date?"

Erin turned and looked longingly over at Andy. "No."

Kelly followed her gaze and smiled. "I'll be right back."

Realizing what she was doing, Erin grabbed her arm before she could get too far away. "No, I can't."

"Honey, yes, you can. And, as soon as I make him ask you, you will."

"No! I mean," she sighed. "Reed told me not to date him."

"Reed?" Kelly nodded slowly, pretending she understood. "Who's Reed?"

"My foster brother." Reluctantly, Erin began explaining everything. A few weeks before, when Erin and Andy had had their 'moment', instead of putting it in a diary, she told Reed. And why wouldn't she? He was her most trusted confidant. She asked him what she was supposed to do and he told her that Andy was bad news.

"Well, do you want to date him?" Erin glanced back over at Andy.

"Yeah."

"Well, Reed won't be the one dating him, so if you want to do it, you should do it."

"You think so?"

Kelly patted Erin's hands. "I know so." She smiled. "Your life could totally be a romance novel. Ugh, I'm so jealous."

At that moment, Mr. Ben walked in and the noise level dropped a bit. Kelly whispered to Erin, "I'll ask him after class."

"Sorry I'm late," Mr. Ben began, unaware of how excited the class was, "Would anyone like to start us off?"

Kelly's hand shot into the air. "Ryan and I would!"

Ryan turned around, shocked. "No, we wouldn't."

She stared at him, open-mouthed. "Yes, we would." She began, forcefully. "Remember what we talked about this weekend with the-"

His eyes widened as he remembered and he nodded. "Oh, yeah, and the-"

"Yeah."

"Whenever you're ready, you two." Mr. Ben interjected, as he sat near the piano.

"We're ready, we're ready." Kelly assured him. As Kelly walked to the front of the stage, Ryan dragged two chairs over from the side of the room and put them on the stage as well, a few feet apart. Kelly sat in one, he sat in the other. They faced opposite directions and both actually look pretty annoyed.

"Um, is everything okay?" Mr. Ben asked, a little worried.

"We're in character." Ryan whispered. Mr. Ben nodded, allowing them to continue.

"Are you saying we can't talk?" Kelly asked.

"Are you saying we're not talking?" Ryan questioned back.

"What are you saying?"

"What are you . . . saying?" There were a few 'oohs' at this. "I'm saying . . . I feel bad, that you feel bad, about me feeling bad, about you feeling bad, about what I said, about what you said, about me not being able to share a feeling." He dragged out the word 'feeling', which made most of the class laugh.

"If I had thought that what you thought was that I hadn't thought about sharing my thoughts, then my reaction to your reaction to my reaction would have been more revealing." She dragged out the word 'revealing', which made the class laugh again. Suddenly, the tempo picked up a bit.

"I was afraid that you'd be afraid if I told you that I was afraid of intimacy. If you don't have a problem with my problem, maybe the problem's simply co-dependency!"

"Yes, I know that now you know that I didn't know that you didn't know that when I said 'No', I meant 'Yes, I know', and that now I know that you knew that you knew you adored me." She clasped her hands together, beaming. They both got up and pulled the chairs closer together as the tempo sped up a little more.

"I was wrong to-" Ryan began.

"-Say you were wrong to-"

"-Say I was wrong about-"

"-You being wrong-"

"-When you meant to say that-"

"-The ring was the wrong thing to bring-"

"-If I meant what I said when I said rings bore me." This initiated another bout of laughter as the tempo sped up a little more. Now people were bobbing their heads along to the song as Ryan and Kelly began to sing together.

"I'm not mad that you got mad that I got mad when you said I should 'go drop dead'!" There was more laughter as Ryan sang.

"If I were you, when I'd done what I'd done, and I'd do what you did when I gave you the ring, having said what I said!" They began singing on top of one another.

"I feel bad, that you feel bad  
>about me feeling bad, about you feeling bad<br>about what I said, about what you said  
>about me not being able to share a feeling.<br>I thought you thought I reacted shallowly  
>when I reacted to you.<br>I'm not mad.  
>You got mad.<br>Go drop dead!  
>If I were you when I'd done what I'd done<br>and I'd do what you did when I gave you the ring,  
>having said what I said" Ryan sang at the same time Kelly sang, "I feel badly about you feeling badly about me feeling badly about you.<br>If I thought that what you thought was that I hadn't thought about sharing my thoughts, then my reaction to your reaction to my reaction would have been more revealing.  
>I'm not mad, that you got mad, when I got mad, when you said I should 'go drop dead'!<br>If I were you,  
>but I'm not you,<br>said what you said!"

"But now it's out in the open," Ryan said, standing up.

"Now it's off our chest," Kelly also stood.

"Now it's four a.m.," they sang together, "and we have therapy tomorrow, it's too late for love, so let's just get some rest!" They picked their chairs and pulled them back to opposite ends of the room as they held out the last note. When the song ended, they collapsed in their chairs at the same time. The class burst into applause for this performance.

"Well done," Mr. Ben said smiling. Kelly gave a little bow before she and Ryan returned to their seats. Suddenly, the bell rang. "Well, that's some good timing! Class dismissed!"

Song used: 'Therapy' from Tick, Tick . . . Boom! ( www . youtube . com / watch?v=UDzdlDfXHho)


	12. Dwight and Angela

Author's Note: I was just proofreading this and I realized something. I've heard all of the songs prior to reading the chapter. You guys haven't. Should I make it more obvious when a song starts and when it ends or should I keep things as is? Leave a comment expressing your opinion please! : )

Angela walked to her locker, shaking her head at the absurdity of it all. _Everyone thinks that high school is the be-all, end-all. Why can't anyone realize there is life after high school? And that life is more than stupid, mysterious parties? You don't see me getting all worked up about some invitation that wasn't even meant for us, by the way. It's completely inconsiderate!  
><em>  
>"Angela." She spun around to see Dwight.<p>

"Hello, Dwight." She said, nonchalantly. He nodded at her, a sign of respect.

"Would you be willing to go to Ryan's party as my date?" Her heart sped up when he said the word 'date', but, regretfully, she shook her head. His eyes widened. "Wha-Why not?"

"Dwight," she huffed, upset that he didn't understand. "I just don't . . . think it would be wise if you did-"

"Is it because you're afraid that no one will want you there?" This comment came out of nowhere and it shocked Angela so much that she couldn't speak for a moment. Dwight seized the moment and took her hand, leading her down the hallway. "I can read you like a book, Angela. Just come with me, it'll be fine."

"Oh, really? It's not that easy, Dwight!" She stepped away and tore her arm from his grip.

"Well, this would be a lot easier if you'd just talk to me!" Dwight shouted back. Angela's eyes widened in anger. She grabbed his arm and dragged him into a nearby empty classroom.

"Why won't you talk to me?" he yelled again. Shushing him, she shut the door and started to walk towards the window. "In fact, why don't you just try to make friends? I mean, we've been in school for two months and you haven't even tried!"

She whirled around to face him. "Well, look who's talking! I haven't seen you try, either! The closest you've gotten to friendship was Jim incasing the inside of your locker in jello!" He turned away, doing his best not to yell. She felt a little bad, knowing how much Jim's pranks hurt his pride, but she kept going anyway. "You show me one person who you've made friends with since school started!"

"You." He mumbled. She froze, realizing she'd gone too far.

"I'm sorr-" He turned to face her and she stopped mid-apology.

"Tell me why you won't make friends." It was an order, which she didn't like, but she also didn't feel like she was in a position to complain. Taking a deep breath, she tried to explain.

"What's going on around me is barely making sense. I need some explanations fast. I see my present partner," she motioned at Dwight, indicating she was speaking about him, though never meeting his eyes, "in the imperfect tense, and I don't see how we can last." Dwight's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak, but Angela put a hand up, silencing him. "I feel I need a change of cast. Maybe I'm on nobody's side."

"Angela, what are you talking about?" he interrupted.

"I would leave this place, if I could," she admitted. "If my sisters didn't look up to me, I would leave this place in a heartbeat."

"Even if it meant leaving me?" he asked quietly, already knowing the answer, but hoping he was wrong. She nodded and his heart sunk. He collapsed into a nearby chair. Angela walked over and slowly sat down next to him.

"I'm sorry," she tried. He shook his head.

"It's okay. I'm used to it." She looked over at him, trying to see if she'd heard incorrectly.

"What do you mean?" He wondered how he could explain what he meant. Memories of his family overtook him; memories of his father's anger, his mother's submissive way of coping, Mose's breakdown. Where could he possibly start?

"When I was nine," he started slowly, "I learned survival, taught myself not to care. I was my single good companion, taking my comfort there." He made eye contact with Angela, trying to make sure she really understood that he meant every word. "Up in my room, I planned my conquests, on my own, never asked for a helping hand. No one would understand. I never asked the pair who fought below, just in case they said no."

"Dwight, everybody has family problems!" she interrupted. It took a moment before Dwight could speak again. She didn't get it at all!

"'Family problems'? Angela, it wasn't 'family problems'! My father put me and the rest of my family at the end of our ropes, emotionally, physically, in every way possible, and yet, I still respect him. I respect him despite the fact that my mother, not to mention Mose, never-"

Angela began speaking over him as they started ranting over one another. "Dwight, I feel like I'm locked within a cage and every wall is godlessness and hate and cruelty and-"

The sound of their voices blurred together in the empty room. Eventually, the melodies of their two songs began to blend together as well.

"I took the road of least resistance,  
>I had my games to play.<br>I had the skill, and more, the hunger,  
>Easy to get away.<br>Pity the child with no such weapons,  
>No defense, no escape from the ties that bind,<br>Always a step behind.  
>I never called to tell her all I'd done.<br>I was only her son!  
>Pity the child, but not forever,<br>Not if he stays that way.  
>He can get all he's ever wanted,<br>If he's prepared to pay.  
>Pity, instead, the careless mother,<br>What she missed, what she lost when she let me go,  
>And I wonder, does she know?<br>I never call, a crazy thing to do,  
>Just in case she said 'Who?'" Dwight tried to explain to Angela.<p>

"Never make a promise or plan.  
>Take a little love where you can.<br>Nobody's on nobody's side.  
>Never stay too long in your bed.<br>Never lose your heart, use your head.  
>Nobody's on nobody's side.<br>Never take a strangers advice.  
>Never let a friend fool you twice.<br>Nobody's on nobody's side.  
>Never be the first to believe.<br>Never be the last to deceive.  
>Nobody's on nobody's side.<br>Never leave a moment too soon.  
>Never waste a hard afternoon.<br>Nobody's on nobody's side.  
>Never stay a minute too long.<br>Don't forget the best will go wrong.  
>Nobody's on nobody's side." Angela tried to explain to Dwight.<p>

Both ended their respected songs, breathing heavily. They stared at each other angrily, each daring the other to back down. Finally, Dwight sighed, breaking his gaze.

"Fine, we don' t have to go to the stupid party." He shook his head. "I understand how you feel-"

"No, you don't." Angela said forcefully. Dwight looked up at her and, suddenly, his eyes widened. "What?"

"I know how I can show you I understand." Angela opened her mouth to object, but Dwight cut her off. "Meet me outside the school after school on Friday." He got up and started moving towards the door.

"Dwight, what-"

"Meet me there."

"You know I don't like surprises."

"Trust me." She looked at his hopeful face and sighed. How could she say no to that?

"Fine." He grinned before disappearing through the door, leaving Angela alone in the empty room.

"This better be worth it." She muttered before leaving as well.

Songs used: 'Nobody's Side' (www . youtube . com / watch?v=72Eu-oYjb3c) and 'Pity the Child' (www . youtube . com / watch?v=EEhojl1gjmQ) from Chess


	13. The Party

The bell rang, announcing the end of school and the end of the week. Children waited for their parents eagerly beneath golden brown-filled trees. That Friday was Halloween. It was also the night of the Halloween party. Granted, some didn't care about this; Kevin was going to skip it to go trick-or-treating, Stanley was going to skip it because he thought it was stupid, Creed . . . well, no one knew what he was going to do. Dwight and Angela, of course, were going to skip it, but, as of yet, Angela didn't know for what. When she finally saw Dwight, waiting outside the school, she was already underwhelmed.

"What is this?" she asked crossly. Dwight looked over at her, beaming from atop his bike.

"What? I brought one for you too." He motioned to another bike that was leaning up against the wall. "It was originally Mose's, but he . . . doesn't use it anymore."

Angela looked at him and he looked back at her, both daring the other to back down. Finally, Angela sighed, realizing she'd have to trust him at some point. Climbing atop the bike, she grumbled, "This better be worth it."

"Oh, it will be. It will be."

OOOOO

_I'm going to my first high school party with my boyfriend, who's __driving__ me there. I should be excited out of my mind!_ Pam thought. _So why aren't I?  
><em>  
>Roy got out of the car and came over to Pam's side, opening the door for her. She thanked him and looked up to see what seemed to be a regular suburban household. That is, other than the flashing lights in the windows and the pounding, loud music. The house was practically giving off heat. Suddenly, Pam felt very nervous.<p>

"I don't know if I want to do this anymore." Roy scoffed, already halfway to the front door.

"It'll be fine, just don't over think it." She sighted and tried to catch up to him.

He knocked on the door, but the music was so loud, it drowned him. Pam was about to ring the doorbell, but Roy stopped her. He pushed lightly on the door and it opened easily. They walked in to find that just about everyone had already arrived. The house was packed. It was hard to see what the house looked like, with so many people blocking her vision, but Pam could see that the hallway from the door had led them into the living room. There was a couch, a few chairs, a coffee table. The usual sort of thing when one imagines 'living rooms'.

They moved through the throngs of people, Pam doing her best not to touch anyone, following in Roy's path. Recognizing a group of boys, Roy waved to them before turning to Pam.

"Just find someone you know. And relax." He pushed through a group of girls and was gone. It was if he'd never been there at all.

_Roy?_ Pam thought, panicking. She knew it was pointless to call out his name, but she still longed to do so. She felt someone tap her shoulder and she spun around.

"Hey," Jim smiled. He held out a drink and she took it, feeling her stomach untangle.

"Hey."

OOOOO

"I'm here!" Kelly crowed from the front door. The music drowned her out, but just barely. She pranced inside with Ryan following her, shaking his head. After him was Erin and Andy, both looking eager, yet hesitant.

"After you, m'lady," Andy crooned, stepping aside so Erin could enter.

"Thank you!" she beamed. _Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea, after all,_ she thought. _See, Reed? He's polite!_ Suddenly, she had to stop to keep from running into Kelly.

"I told you, Ryan," she was saying. "It was good that I took so long to choose an outfit. That girl over there is wearing my second choice. If I hadn't –" She turned to see Erin. "You're not Ryan."

"Nope," Erin agreed.

"Ryan?" Kelly called out, looking around. She realized there was no possible way he could hear her. Apparently, he had seized the moment and disappeared into the crowd. Erin felt bad for her friend, but Kelly tried to seem indifferent.

"No matter." She grabbed Erin's arm and pulled her forward. "Let's go meet people!"

Andy watched them go. "That's – That's my date," he mumbled pathetically before following after them.

OOOOO

"Dwight," Angela called out to him breathlessly. "Where, exactly, are we going?"

"It's right up ahead," he yelled back. "We're almost there!"

Angela sighed and kept pedaling. He was right, of course. A few minutes later, they pulled up beside a barn.

"A farm? You took me to a farm?" She wrinkled her nose at the smell of manure and animals. By the time she caught up to Dwight, however, he had tossed the bike to the ground and was running up to the barn doors. He looked back at her, surprised she hadn't gotten it yet.

"Not just any farm. My farm!" He opened one large, red door a crack and went inside. He disappeared for a moment, before reappearing and beckoning her to follow him. She sighed before leaving her bike behind and walking through the door as well.

OOOOO

_Why am I even here?_ Oscar thought, angrily. _I should be at home, studying, or . . . trick-or-treating with Kevin._ He felt incredibly guilty, abandoning his friend, but he'd come to the party anyway. Now he was sitting alone, feeling very out of place. So, why had he come? Well, he wouldn't admit it to himself, but he had come in the hopes of seeing -

"Hello again." He turned to see the boy from before and his heart sped up a bit.

"Hello yourself," he said, hesitantly.

The boy came and sat on the couch, adjacent to him. He put out a hand and said, "I guess it's about time I introduce myself. I'm Shad."

Slowly, Oscar took his hand. "I'm Oscar."

"Cool, cool. So . . . after school, there's this soda shop kind of place where the gang and I usually hang out. And, if you'd like, I could introduce you, make you a part of the group."

"W-What?"

"Oh, come on. You're gay and out in the open, I'm gay and very out in the open," he said, giving a little shimmy with a grin. "Why not?"

_Why not?_ Oscar thought. Still, he just couldn't do it. Thinking about walking down the halls with any boy, much less Shad, made his stomach twist. Plus, something about Shad made him think twice about even talking to him. He couldn't put a finger on what it was, but -

"Um, hello?" The sound of Shad's voice pulled Oscar out of his thoughts. "So, what'll it be?"

"No." Shad's cocky grin vanished, for he was obviously not expecting that answer.

"Excuse me." He asked it, but it didn't feel like a question.

"No," Oscar repeated, stronger now. "I'm sorry, I just can't."

Shad just glared at him. "You want me, I can tell." Shad stood slowly, causing Oscar's blood to run cold. He had never realized just how tall Shad was. "I'll find a way to make you say yes," he vowed before storming off and disappearing into the crowd.

_Weird,_ Oscar thought. _I'm gonna go get some punch._

OOOOO

_Why am I even here? _Meredith thought, angrily. _I could be at home, studying, or playing piano or-  
><em>  
>"Hey." She heard a deep voice that reminded her of rocks hitting a barn. He wore a sports jersey and a cool attitude. His skin was sun-tanned and his hair was light blond.<p>

"Hey," Meredith said, coyly, immediately straightening up.

"I'm Dan." She could practically see the words come curling out of his mouth like smoke. She grinned.

"Meredith." He gestured over to a group of boys, who all waved, grinning stupidly.

"Would you . . . like to join us?" _Coy! _Meredith thought, in a panic. _I have to look like I don't care.  
><em>  
>"Maybe later," she tried. "Right now, I'm with my friends." Noticing she recognized a few girls nearby, she gestured to them. The boy nodded, smiling.<p>

"I'll . . . come back later, then."

"You do that," Meredith called after him before sitting with the two girls.

"Um . . ." One started to say.

"Act like we're talking," she whispered.

"What-"

"Hi!" The other girl put out her hand. "I'm Erin and this is Kelly. You're Meredith, right?"

Meredith nodded, surprised. "Yeah." The girl, Erin, turned to her friend.

"We know her from glee club." Kelly's eyes widened.

"Oh my gosh, of course, sorry!" Meredith smiled, shaking her head. "I'm Kelly Kapoor, girlfriend of Ryan Howard, who's around here somewhere . . ."

"The dark haired boy with the constant sullen expression?" Meredith guessed.

"Yes!" Erin and Meredith laughed. "So, how do you like the party so far?"

OOOOO

Dan walked into the kitchen. It was relatively empty, compared to the rest of the house. Another boy, Dan's brother, was standing at the sink.

"Hey." The boy turned. "She turned me down, but I said I'd come back. What do I do?"

His brother laughed. "Easy. Get her some punch. Dan smiled and turned to leave, but his brother put out a hand, pulling him back. "Wait." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, sliver flask. "Put this in the punch."

Dan took it and nodded, before putting it into his pocket. He walked back into the main room. Pushing through the crowd, he eventually reached the punch bowl. He poured a cup before pulling out the flask.

_Wait, _he thought. _Did he mean for me to put it in the cup or the bowl?_ After a moment of hesitation, he shrugged. _Screw it,_ he thought, emptying the flask into the bowl. _This whole party needs to loosen up._ He poured the cup into the bowl and refilled it. _There we go._

OOOOO

Erin and Meredith laughed.

"But that's not the half of it," Kelly continued, smiling. Suddenly, she stopped and the trio looked up to see a light-skinned boy with chestnut brown hair. His eyes gleamed as he addressed the girls.

"Hello, ladies," he crooned. "I'm Shad."

The girls introduced themselves and he sat down with them. "You mind?" he asked. The girls shook their heads quickly. He flicked a hand towards Kelly. "You look really nice, really . . . put together." Kelly blushed. "It must've taken forever."

Kelly fake-laughed. "Oh, this old thing?" Erin rolled her eyes, grinning slightly. Shad glanced over at her.

"You have a beautiful smile, doll. Anyone ever tell you that?" Erin bowed her head and shook her head slightly. "They should." His gaze then shifted to Meredith and he bit his lip. "You-"

"Hey." The strong voice made them all turn. Dan stood, staring at him angrily. Meredith smiled at Dan, as she and Shad got up.

"You don't have to leave," Kelly pleaded. Meredith turned, only to realize she was talking to Shad. She walked over to Dan as Shad answered her.

"Oh, I shouldn't stay," he said distractedly, looking over her head at Oscar, who was pretending he wasn't watching. "Lots of people to meet, you know how it is."

"Oh, of course," Kelly nodded, acting as if she knew how it was. She watched him go before going back to talking with Erin.

"Hey, Dan," Meredith said. He smiled.

"Hey." He held a drink out to her. She took it gratefully.

"Thanks." _That was nice of him._

OOOOO

Ryan stood with his hands in his pockets, letting the party flow around him. _I don't really know anyone worth talking to, but at least I'm not listening to Kelly's girl talk._ Eventually, he wondered into a room with less people. Barely any people, actually. _Lucky break, I guess._ He got out his phone and began texting. After a few minutes, he heard someone calling to him.

"Hey, kid." He looked in the direction of the voice and saw three kids around his age. There were two boys and one girl. They were sitting on the floor in a particularly dark corner of the room, which Ryan found to be odd. One of the guys waved for him to come over. Putting his phone back in his pocket, Ryan started walking towards them.

"Hey." Now that he was closer, he could see the trio better. They were all wearing black t-shirts. One of the boys had shaggy, dark hair that fell into his face. The other had a black army cut. The girl had red hair that was cut into layers. Seeing her at a closer distance made Ryan's heart speed up a bit.

"Hey," the crew cut boy spoke up. "I'm Dean, that's Lewis, and-"

"-And I'm Maxine." She put a hand out for Ryan to shake. She watched him reach for her and, as he grabbed her hand, she pulled him forward, causing him to fall to the ground with her. The trio laughed and, eventually, Ryan laughed with them.

"I'm Ryan." Dean's eyes widened.

"Ryan? As in Ryan Howard from Mifflin High?" Ryan nodded, surprised. "Dude, I've seen your work on the internet! You're a genius, man!" He grinned. "Got any new plans?"

Ryan straightened up. It had been so long since anyone asked about his plans. "Well, actually-"

"Hold on," Lewis interrupted. "I wanna hear about what you have to say, but first . . ." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, white pill bottle. He opened it and took a couple, before passing the bottle to Dean, who also took a couple. The knot in Ryan's stomach only tightened as the bottle was passed to Maxine. She swallowed a few before looking over at him.

"Want some? _No, I don't want some. Thanks for offering, but no._ He was about to say this before he met her eyes. She was so beautiful . . .

"Uh, sure." _Why did I say that?_ Maxine grinned as she passed it to him, which made him think that maybe it wasn't that bad of a mistake.

OOOOO

"Dwight, it's been hours. I love spending time with you, but-" They were both lying on a particularly large pile of hay. After Dwight had shown her around the farm, they had decided to rest there.

"Wait," Dwight whispered, putting up a hand. After a moment, he spoke again. "Okay, it's time." He got up and dusted himself off before walking to the door.

"Wait, 'it's time'? Where are you going? Dwight?" But he was gone. She sighed before getting up and leaving as well.

Exiting the barn, she started to speak, but she noticed that Dwight was just sitting on the ground. He looked up at her and patted the ground next to him. She sighed before sitting down. He pointed upwards and she followed his finger. Once she realized what he meant, her breath caught in her throat.

The sky was full of stars. Angela had never seen a sky so clear.

"I wanted you to see it," he whispered.

"It's beautiful," she whispered back. Then, she jokingly said, "Better than a Halloween party."

"Better than trick-or-treating," Dwight agreed.

"Actually," she admitted. "I've never been trick-or-treating."

"Really?"

"Nah. My parents won't let me. They think it's blasphemous." Dwight grinned.  
>"Mine neither!" She looked at him, surprised. "Except my parents just think it's a pointless excuse to steal candy from others." He turned to her. "Wanna go?"<p>

"What?"

"Why not?" She grinned. _Can't argue with that logic!  
><em>  
>"Okay!" Dwight began to stand, but Angela put a hand out, stopping him. "In a second."<p>

She leaned over and kissed him, taking him completely by surprise.

"Okay," she said, standing. "Let's go."

Dwight smiled. "Let's go."

OOOOO

Things at the party were getting a little more interesting, ever since Dan spiked the punch. Jim had gotten Pam another glass and she was starting to act a little more confident. She was laughing at something Jim had said when she noticed Roy walk past them.

"Hold on," she said, handing her glass to Jim and walking towards Roy. He saw her and smiled.

"Hey, feeling better?"

"Much," she nodded. "We're through."

"W-What?" he asked, taken aback.

"You heard me." She turned to go back, but Roy grabbed her arm.

"Whoa, not so fast-" She jerked her arm away violently.

"Don't touch me, Roy!" He immediately stepped back. "I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore."

"Fine!" he roared. "Good luck getting home!" He stormed out, pushing through the crowd. Pam stared after him for a moment before shrugging and walking back to Jim. He stared at her in amazement.

"You really didn't have to do that, you know."

"Yes. Yes, I did." She smiled. "I like you, Jim. I like spending time with you." She pointed to the plastic cup in Jim's hand. "Could I have some more punch?"

Jim's brow furrowed. _It couldn't be._ He lifted the cup to his nose and smelled the inside of it. _Yep._ "No." Pam's frowned.

"Why not?" Jim sighed.

"Let's just get you home. I'll drive."

OOOOO

"Michael, why did you take me here?" Jan asked as they walked in. "You said you had something important to say."

"Jan, I'm breaking up with you." He had been planning this ever since he met Holly. He had taken Jan to the party because he read an article online that said it's better to break up with people in front of large crowds of people. Something about it easing the blow, he couldn't really remember exactly. Unfortunately, Jan wasn't taking it as well as he thought she would.

"What?"

"Don't try to change my mind," he said. _Stay strong and be assertive._ That was another thing the article mentioned.

"Change your-what-you-" Jan sputtered. An onlooker tapped her shoulder and handed her a glass of punch. "Thank you." Before Michael could react, she threw the contents of the cup in his face, before turning on her heel and leaving him in the dust. Michael watched her go, trying to dry his face with his shirt. Eventually, though, he did go after her. She was his ride, after all.

OOOOO

Oscar watched disgustedly, as Shad flirted with Phyllis. He didn't know why he was watching it really, if it bothered him so much, but he just couldn't tear his eyes away. Andy walked up to him.

"Hey, buddy, what's up?" Oscar looked at him and he gestured towards Kelly and Erin, who were still talking. "Lost my date. You?" Oscar sighed.

"Sort of." He pointed at Shad. "You see that kid over there?"

"Yeah. He and Phyllis seem to be getting along really well."

"He's been flirting with all the girls just to make me jealous."

"Why would that-" He looked at Oscar before his eyes widened. "Oh, that's right, you're . . . yeah." He looked back at Shad before looking back to Oscar. "Wait, so does that mean he's-" Oscar nodded. "Oh. Wait, then why would he be flirting with-Oh! To make you jealous, right." He paused for a moment. "Okay, I think I get it now. You may continue."

Oscar sighed, grinning slightly. "Man, you're just like Kevin."

"What?"

"Nothing. Anyway, what do you think I should do?"

"Not much you really can do, buddy. Wanna sit with us?"

"Nah, I-I think I'm going home."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Andy patted him on the back.

"Alright. See you."

"See you."

OOOOO

Meredith slid the glass back door open and stepped outside. Closing the door, she was engulfed in the warm night air and something close to silence, both of which made her incredibly grateful.

_Punch isn't supposed to be that good,_ she thought. Luckily, she was so tipsy, it was hard for her to feel any panic. Finding a patio chair, she collapsed into it and waited for the room to stop spinning.

"In an instant, lightning flashes and the burst might leave me blind," she sang, remembering how that first sip made her feel. "When the bolt of lightning crashes and it burns right through my mind. It's like someone drained my brain out, set my frozen mind to thaw, let the lethargy and pain out while I stood and watched it all." She stood, smiling.

"I am riding on the brightest buzz, I am worlds away from who I was, and he told me he would change me, though he doesn't know how it does." She stumbled backwards before collapsing back into the patio chair. "I have lived a life of clouds and gray," she admitted. "But this is crystal clear. Wish I were here. I'd imagine it's remarkable, exuberant, austere. Wish I were here. Wish I were-"

Suddenly, the patio doors opened again. Meredith immediately became silent and froze, hoping whoever it was hadn't seen her.

Ryan stepped out and closed the door. He sighed before traveling to the edge of the patio. Meredith watched as he leaned against the wooden railing.

_I shouldn't have taken those pills,_ he thought regretfully. _Still, I got to meet Maxine, so it wasn't all bad. I feel so good right now, I don't even care about what I'll have to say to Kelly._ His heart sank with guilt, thinking of her. He put a hand against his chest as he suddenly realized how fast his heart was beating. He couldn't figure out if it was due to the drugs or the fear of the drugs. _I don't even know what I took!_ He sighed as he looked out over the pitch black lawn.

"It's euphoria, it's anger, it's the winter wind, it's fire," he sang. "And it kills my deepest hunger, as it fills me with desire. I'm the light and heat of every sun-"

"-I'm the light and heat of every sun," Meredith echoed. Ryan spun around, looking frantically for the source. Making eye contact with Meredith, she merely beckoned him to go on.

"I'm a bullet from and magic gun," he sang cautiously.

"I'm a bullet from a magic gun," Meredith echoed again.

"And I'm trying to enjoy it – "

"But I'm missing all the fun!" Their combined voices rose into the heated night. "Am I feeling what I think I'm feeling, the hope, the heat, the fear? Wish I were here. Is this someone else's head trick? Do I just disappear? Wish I were here. Wish I were-"

Both of their voices cut off abruptly when the door opened again.

"There you are!" Kelly smiled. She noticed Meredith and waved, before turning back to Ryan. "Come on, Ryan. We're going home." She left and Ryan turned to Meredith. His expression was a mixture of fear and self-pity and it made Meredith crumble on the inside, for she knew she was wearing the same face.

"Can I hide this stupid hunger?" he asked. "Fake some confidence and cheer. Wish I were here. Wish I were here." He left without saying goodbye, the sound of his last note resonating in the air. Eventually, Meredith couldn't stand it any longer and she went back inside as well.

OOOOO

In case you were wondering, Stanley finished a mystery novel he had been working on. It was good, but not great. Afterwards, he went to bed and did a puzzle to clear his mind before falling asleep.

Kevin went trick-or-treating with his little sister and a few of his other friends. He was upset that Oscar couldn't be there, but the thrill of Halloween pulled him in and he started to have fun. He brought home a large haul and was very happy. Afterwards, he ate candy and watched Halloween-themed cartoon specials with his sister. It was a very good year.

Creed – You don't need to know what Creed did.

All in all, though, their nights were very calm and pretty uneventful. All three were perfectly fine with this.

Song used: 'Wish I Were Here' from Next to Normal (www . youtube . com / watch?v=gHbqQnGcH9A)


	14. The Monday After

A/N: I am so sorry for taking so long to update. I could bombard you with excuses, but instead, please take this new chapter as an apology. : - )

Roy walked into school that Monday morning completely certain that, by the end of the day, Pam Beesley would be begging for him to take her back.

He had spent the entire weekend convincing himself that he hadn't done anything wrong. He'd imagined dozens of scenarios where she came to him, crying out pleas for forgiveness, falling at his feet. Of course, he would eventually say yes – he couldn't say no to that girl. But it wouldn't hurt to make her beg a little. He deserved that much.

He started walking towards her locker, all the while, doing his best to ignore the numerous stares he was getting. He finally recognized her messy hairdo and stood up a bit straighter. _Now, it's my turn._ He started to walk towards her, but stopped abruptly when he noticed she was with someone else. He had to make sure, but it was actually true. Pam, his girlfriend (well, ex-girlfriend) was smiling and laughing with his one true nemesis: Jim Halpert. Not only that, but they were holding hands. Roy's heart almost stopped from the shock of this revelation. On the one hand, he couldn't believe she even had the nerve to go behind his back like that. On the other hand, he wondered how he hadn't seen it coming. _How could I not have known that she – Are they looking this way?  
><em>  
>He ducked into a nearby classroom, narrowly avoiding being spotted. Once inside, he collapsed into one of the chairs. <em>Jim,<em> he growled mentally, clenching and unclenching his hands. His chest burned every time he thought about what he'd just witnessed.

_You'll pay for this, Halpert,_ he vowed. _You've made a big mistake . . . and a powerful enemy._

OOOOO

Michael couldn't wait for AP Biology. There, he would be able to see Holly and ask her to be his girlfriend. And, of course, she'd say yes. Why wouldn't she say yes?

Finally, the bell rang and Michael bolted from the classroom. He gathered his books and ran to the science room, sliding into his seat and, luckily, getting there just before Holly did.

"Well, well, well," she said, grinning, as she sat down in the seat next to him. "Fancy seeing you again, partner."

Michael smiled. He would never get tired of that sense of humor. "Fancy seeing you, partner."

"Anything interesting happen while on the smoky trails?" she asked in a fake southern drawl.

_Now's my chance!_ "Actually, I was wondering if you would be willing to be my girlfriend?"

Her eyes widened. "Um-" That's_ not a good reaction,_ he thought, his heart suddenly sinking. "I'm a transfer student. I'm only going to be here for one year and-"

"That's fine," Michael interrupted her, panicked. "Long distance relationship, right?"

She smiled sadly. "-And I have a boyfriend back home. AJ."

With those words, Michael's entire world came crashing down around him. Holly kept talking, but he didn't hear any of it. _How could I have been so stupid?  
><em>  
>"That's fine," he interrupted again, cutting Holly off. "That's totally fine. Totally cool. Totts cool. Do people say that now? 'Totts'?"<p>

"No, I don't think – "

"Well, they should. And I have a girlfriend too. Jan, yeah. And she's totts cool."

"But you just asked me to be your girlfriend?"

"Well, yeah, a guy can have a woman on the side. I'm a player, Holly. A playah, as they are more well-known."

"Oh, really?"

"Definitely. Defs." Luckily, the teacher chose that moment to start class. Holly tried to talk to him again, but he shushed her, saying, "Class has started and I'd like to learn, thank you very much." Eventually, she gave up and started taking notes with the rest of the class.

_Well,_ he thought. _Dodged a bullet there._

OOOOO

As usual, around midday, everyone gathered for glee club and, if Oscar had been paying attention, he would have noticed some unusual behavior. For instance, Meredith was in the back, being more irritable and listless than normal. Ryan's eyes kept darting back and forth and it seemed like he couldn't sit still. Michael was practically foaming at the mouth with anger. Oscar would have noticed all this if he hadn't been busy with a mission of his own. In the few minutes before Mr. Ben arrived, he would find out just how big of an impact Shad had really left on these ladies. His guess (if he was being completely honest, he would say 'his hope') was that everyone will say 'Shad who?', thus allowing him to continue on his merry way.

He leaned in towards Kelly. "Hey, Kelly." She looked over at him. "That party last weekend, do you remember some guy named . . . Shad?"

At the mention of his name, every female in the room let out a loud sigh. Oscar's heart dropped. _This is just not my year.  
><em>  
>Kelly's eyes drifted up to the rafters, as if she were remembering that night. "Last night, I met a man beneath a pale and haunted moon, a man no women could refuse." She stood up and started to move towards the center of the room. "Bold and assertive, with a furtive air of mystery. Magically long of lash, tragically short of cash."<p>

"As he approached, he wore an aura of nobility." Everyone turned to see where the next verse had come from. Erin stood, with the same dreamy-eyed look on her face that Kelly had, and began to move towards the center of the room as well. "I wore these Ferragamo shoes. This was, at last, I knew, my rendezvous with history." She stood next to Kelly. "What was a woman," she asked. "What was a woman to do?"

Kelly smiled and nodded, knowingly. "And when he smiled, he lit the night with grace and confidence. His teeth were clean and straight and white, just like a picket fence." She started moving towards Oscar, who was trying to pretend this wasn't happening. "I couldn't look directly at them, they were that intense. What was a woman," she asked him. "What was a woman to do?"

Erin stood center stage. "I never realized how long my heart had been ignored. He sang my name and it rang out, just like some major chord. If music be the food of love, he ate my smorgasbord. What was a woman – "

"What was a woman – " Kelly echoed.

"What was a woman to do?" they sang together.

Suddenly, Meredith stood up, granted, rather shakily. "Last night, I met a prince and, suddenly, my life has changed. I have a purpose and a cause – "

"To help my dreamy royal boyfriend." Angela sang, also standing. Both girls started to walk towards Kelly and Erin.

"He's off rebelling and I'm kveling here, but never mind," Meredith sang, reaching the stage. "He's just so ooh!"

"So suave it makes you mental," Angela agreed.

"So gosh darn continental." Kelly muttered.

Suddenly, Pam stood up, pulled into the music, much to the surprise of Jim. He watched, wide-eyed as she made her way to the other girls. Finally reaching center stage, she struck a powerful pose and began to sing.

"He had the most amazing eyes that I had ever seen. He came in with a ticket for the second mezzanine." She shook her head and growled, "I ripped it up and put him right down there in J-13!" She held the note until Kelly finally walked over to her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Miss, if you don't mind."

Pam stepped back, but not before singing, "What was a woman – "

"What was a woman – " the rest of the girls echoed.

"What was a woman to do?" Phyllis sang quietly from the corner. Everyone turned to her, suddenly realizing she had been the only one not to step forward.

Of course, Mr. Ben chose that moment of silence to walk in. "Alright, is everyone ready to – Why are all you girls up here?" As they scurried back to their seats, muttering apologies, Mr. Ben said, "I mean, if y'all are that excited to do a musical number, that's fine. That's great, actually. I don't want to squash that creativity."

Oscar turned around to see Phyllis with an uncharacteristically dark expression. "Are you okay?" he whispered. She looked over at him, obviously very distracted.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Oscar turned forward again, unconvinced.

OOOOO

The bell rang announcing the end of school and Angela headed to her locker, packing up for the end of the day. She was so focused in packing up her stuff, in fact, that she didn't feel Dwight's presence until he snuck up behind her. Tiptoeing towards her, he finally wrapped his arms around her, yelling, "Surprise!"

"Dwight!" she yelled, shoving him off her. He stepped back, surprised. She took a quick look around to make sure no one saw that before glaring at him. "Why would you do that?"

"But, you kissed me, I thought – "Angela quickly shushed him, looking around again. He lowered his voice. "I thought that meant we could be public now."

"No!" Dwight gave her such a sad look that her heart nearly melted. "I mean," she started again, taking on a softer tone. "Not yet."

"But, Angela – "

"Not. Yet." She shot him the 'this conversation is over' look before turning back to her locker. But, for once, Dwight wasn't ready for this conversation to be over.

"We kiss in a shadow," he sang. "We hide from the moon. Our meetings are few and over too soon." Slowly, Angela turned to face him, a look of shock on her face.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

"Angela, no one can hear us!" He spread his arms out. "No one's around." He took her hand and sang, "We speak in a whisper, afraid to be heard. When people are near, we speak not a word." He began pulling her to the middle of the hallway. "Alone in our secret, together we sigh." He wrapped his arms around her and, finally letting in, Angela let him hold her. "For one smiling day, to be free! To kiss in the sunlight and say to the sky, 'Behold and believe what you see. Behold how my lover loves me!'"

Pulling back, Angela started walking back to her locker, trying to ignore the truth of it all. Still, she couldn't help but agree. "We speak in a whisper," she sang quietly, not facing him. "Afraid to be heard. When people are near – "

"We speak not a word." She heard Dwight answer from behind her and, sighing in frustration, she turned to face him again. He held out a hand and, after a moment of hesitation, she took it. He began to dance with her, swaying and twirling her. "Alone in our secret, together we sigh. For one smiling day to be free-" Finally, Angela began singing with him.

"To kiss in the sunlight and say to the sky, 'Behold and believe what you see. Behold how my lover loves me!'"

Suddenly, Angela pulled back, nearly throwing Dwight off-balance. "No! Dwight, I just can't do this! Not right now, just – " She looked up at him. "Just for a little while longer."

After a very long moment, he nodded, "Just for a little while longer." Angela smiled before grabbing the rest of her stuff from her locker and running off. Dwight watched her go sadly.

"To kiss in the sunlight and say to the sky, 'Behold and believe what you see. Behold how my lover loves me!'" His final notes echoed in the empty hallway. He waited awhile, before sighing and heading home.

OOOOO

Erin hopped off the big white bus with the rest of the children and walked into the Delview Foster Home as if she had lived there all her life. Of course, technically, she had.

A large woman with dark skin and hair in a bun sat behind a large desk with a computer. She looked up as the kids walked in. Smiling, she stood up to greet the mob of all ages.

"Hello!" she said.

"Hello, Mrs. Taylor!" They chorused. Of course, by now, they all knew what to do. The younger children went into the playroom as a sort of 'Aftercare'. The older children just went back to their assigned rooms and worked on their homework.

Erin waved at Mrs. Taylor before walking off to her, as she liked to call it, dorm. Reaching the door, she took the key from her backpack and used it to unlock the door. Before she could get in, she heard a voice from behind her.

"Hey, Kelly!" She turned to see Reed running towards her. After making sure no one was looking, she let him into her room. Technically, boys weren't allowed in girls dorms, but Reed was her friend and she knew she could trust him.

He sat on her bed as she locked the door behind her. The room held a number of beds, but the one closest to the door was Erin's. Each girl could decorate their space however they wanted. Beyond that, the room was pretty plain. The walls were a light blue. The floors had a light blue carpet. Erin liked it, and thus, so did Reed.

"So, what's new today?" He grinned. Erin was glad she had a friend like Reed. He was always willing to listen to her stories about her school. Eventually, she decided he had to have been joking about not dating Andy. The date had turned out fine, great, actually. Then again, she hadn't told him that she'd gone out with Andy yet. But she would do it today. She'd promised herself.

"Reed," she smiled. "I told you, my new name is Erin."

"Right, right," he nodded. "I keep forgetting. Maybe because I've known you as Kelly for years."

"Well, I'm Erin now. Or, at least, for as long as I'll stay at this school." Her smile faded a bit, as she thought of all the schools she'd been through over the years. Luckily, Reed interrupted those thoughts.

"So, what's new, Erin?" She nodded approvingly and Reed gave a fake bow.

"Well," she looked up at him and grinned. "I don't know if I want to tell you."

His eyes gleamed as he matched her grin. "Oh, really?" He slowly came to a standing position and started moving towards her. "You don't want to tell me, do you?"

She started backing up a bit in preparation. "Maybe, maybe not."

"Oh, you little – " Reed started running at her and she let out a small shriek of laughter. She tried to get away, but, eventually, he tackled her. They both ended up on the floor and Reed started tickling her. She started laughing uncontrollably as he taunted her playfully. "You won't tell me? Will you tell me now? Or now? Or how 'bout – "

"Is everything alright in there?" They heard Mrs. Taylor's voice come through the door and, immediately, Reed got off Erin. He ducked under the bed as Erin got up, dusted herself off, and casually opened the door.

"Yes?"

"Is everything alright in there? I heard screaming." Mrs. Taylor looked over Erin, scanning the room.

"Nope, just a movie." Mrs. Taylor gave her an odd look.

"Are you sure?"

"Yep."

"Well . . . turn it down."

"Right, sorry." Closing the door, Erin turned to see Reed back on the bed. "We've got to be more careful." Reed flopped to a lying position.

"You say that every time. Plus, we've done this for years. We've got it down to a science." He glanced over at her. "And you know you love it."

She grinned, shrugging. "It's a guilty pleasure."

Sitting up, Reed asked, "So, what's up?"

She walked over and sat next to him. "Well, Friday, this last Friday . . . there was a party." Reed nodded. "And I went to it . . . with Andy." His eyes widened as his shoulders dropped.

"What did I tell you about him?"

"Well, Kelly said – "

"Kelly? The same Kelly who renamed you? I knew I didn't like her for a reason." Erin playfully whacked him on the shoulder.

"She's fine once you get to know her. And so is Andy. He's really polite."

"Ooh, polite. What a catch!" Erin rolled her eyes, smiling. "Trust me, he's going to break your heart."

Erin kept silent. Reed was a year older. He'd had his heart broken plenty of times. He must know something about it. He got up from the bed and started walking to the door.

"I'm gonna head back to my room." Erin sighed.

"Reed – "

"Just think about what I said, okay?"

". . . Okay." He snuck out the door and Erin watched him go. Once the door closed, she flopped back onto the bed, trying to sort out her feelings. After a while, she found there was only one thing she knew for sure: _High school is hard._

Songs used: 'What was a woman to do?' from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (www . youtube . com / watch?v=w7YZFelhd_o) and 'We Kiss in a Shadow' from The King and I (www . youtube . com / watch?v=tPWOv04P5Is)


	15. Gina's

"I'm just saying, we're in the glee club. Why shouldn't we organize a lip dub?" Andy asked Pam as he pulled books out of his locker.

"And I'm just saying, I think it's a bad idea," Pam laughed.

"Whatever." He shouted after her as she began to walk away. "But you'd be surprised by how many people would willingly join in! This school is full of hidden musical talent!" He was suddenly shoved by a strong hand and he stumbled forward.

"I think you're thinking of the all-boys school a few blocks from here." Packer laughed and high-fived his friends as they walked away.

Andy sighed before ambling off in the opposite direction. _No one knows a good idea when they hear one.  
><em>  
>Little did either of them know, Roy was watching this conversation from a distance. Once he realized Pam was coming towards him, he ducked back into the hall.<p>

"She's coming!" He whispered over to Meredith.

"Yeah, whatever." She sighed. "Alright, stand up against the lockers."

" . . . What?"

"You want to get her back or not?" He did as she asked and she walked over to him. Leaning on the lockers next to him, she started laughing. Roy just looked at her like she was insane. She abruptly stopped laughing in order to hit him on the shoulder. He stepped back in shock.

"Ow!" he said, rubbing it.

"Laugh, you idiot," she said, rolling her eyes. "As if one of us just said something funny."

"Like that would ever happen." They said at the same time before bursting into laughter.

They pretended not to notice when Pam turned the corner and stared at them for a second.

_It's working!_ Roy thought, excitedly.

_Good for them, I guess._ Pam thought, apathetically, before walking past them and turning another corner. As soon as she left, both stopped laughing and Roy turned to Meredith eagerly. She turned to him with a sour expression.

"What?" she said in a monotone.

"Do you think it worked?"

" . . . Sure." She put out a hand. After a moment, Roy realized what she meant. Reaching into his pocket, he paid her. She started to walk away, but stopped when she heard him mumbling to himself.

"Jeez, when did she get so mean?" She sighed, heart sinking. She had been more irritable lately. Shaking her head, she mentally cursed herself for caring before scurrying away.

OOOOO

Michael nearly got out of going to school that day. Unfortunately, his mother took his temperature and made him go anyway. _She didn't even do anything. She just put a hand on my forehead. Why does that always work?_ He thought angrily. He dragged himself to math class, already despising himself for what he was about to do. Peeking into the classroom, he cursed mentally. Jan was already sitting there, sitting by herself. The chair beside her, Michael's assigned seat, remained empty.

" Mr. Scott?" The teacher, Mr. Khan, called out to him. "If you are going to come in, come in. But you are blocking the doorway."

Hearing his name, Jan looked up and saw him. He ducked behind the wall, but not before receiving one of the coldest stares he had ever gotten. He shivered before shaking it off and walking inside.

Jan was turned away towards the window. He warily walked towards her and, as quietly as he could, sat next to her. _Maybe she won't notice that I'm here.  
><em>  
>"Care to explain yourself?" she whispered without turning around. Michael jumped.<p>

"Whoa, you-you scared me there!" he laughed, hoping she would join in. She didn't. He took a deep breath before starting. "I'm sorry."

"At a party?" She turned to him. "Really?"

"Okay, that wasn't really my fault. There was this article online - " He realized her expression was becoming frighteningly close to what he had seen at the door, so he stopped. "Anyway, I didn't mean to upset you, I just – "

"You didn't mean to upset me?" She asked, eyes wide, becoming more and more shrill on each word. "Michael, even someone as dumb as you would know that that would upset me. I bet you don't even know why you're supposed to be sorry!"

"Wait, dumb? Excuse me, I wasn't the one who almost left me behind at the party, not to mention, doused me with punch. I had to run after the car all wet and – "

"Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"Well, good. Now, if you'll just forgive me, we'll be even – "

"Even? You think I'll forgive – "

"Mr. Scott! Ms. Levenson!" Both looked up to the front of the class where Mr. Khan stood. "I'm going to start teaching now, unless one of you has something you'd like to say to the rest of the class."

"No, we don't – "

"Actually, we do," Michael started, standing up. "If you don't mind."

"What are you doing?" Jan hissed.

"Jan Levinson," he started loudly. "I'm sorry for dumping you at the party. I don't know what I was thinking." He paused. "I promise it will never happen again. Will you please be my girlfriend again?"

Jan looked around nervously before glancing up at him. "I think it would be smart if we talked about this at another time."

"Nope. I need an answer right now."

"No."

" . . . What?"

"No. Now sit down."

They didn't speak for the rest of the period.

OOOOO

Glee club started early that day, to the surprise of the entire class. Mr. Ben hurried in, closing the door behind him.

"I know I've usually been late, but I have a special announcement." He paused for effect. "We've been told about the spring musical and – " The class groaned, all interest in the subject gone. Mr. Ben's face clouded with confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing personal, Mr. Ben," Kelly began. "It's just . . . no one really cares."

"What she means is," Jim cut in, "a lot of us didn't join this club to become a singer."

"This is a glee club, not a drama club," Creed added.

Mr. Ben nodded. "Alright, I can see your point." He sighed. "Well, back to class, I guess. Would anyone like to – " Andy raised his hand. "Alright, sure. Come on up."

Eagerly, Andy hopped up and ran to the side of the room. Meanwhile, Mr. Ben sat on the piano bench, defeated. Andy walked to the middle of the room, a guitar strapped around his body.

"Hi, I'm Andy Bernard, and this song goes out to my sweetheart." He grinned, staring at Erin. She smiled back, unaware of what he was about to do. He gave the guitar a strum to find the key before he began to sing.

"She's a good girl, loves her mama." He continued staring at Erin, gently strumming the guitar. "Loves Jesus and America too." The mention of Jesus caused Angela to straighten up. Her eyes widened. _Is he . . . talking about me?_ "She's a good girl, crazy 'bout Elvis. Loves horses and her boyfriend too."

In an attempt to seem casual, Andy glanced around the classroom and tried to make eye contact with someone other than Erin. His gaze landed on Angela and, in a spur-of-the-moment move, he winked at her. She gave him a look Medusa would be proud of. He looked away quickly. Quietly, due to an endeavor towards normalcy, Angela reached to her left and tried to hold Dwight's hand. As soon as her hand brushed his, he moved his hand away. She looked up at him in surprise, but he refused to look at her. With a pang in her chest, she pulled her hand back into her lap.

Meanwhile, Andy had gotten to the chorus and he was really 'in the music', to say the least. He had his eyes closed and was swaying back and forth. "And I'm free, free fallin'! Yes, I'm free, free fallin', fallin'."

Slowly, he started walking towards Erin until he stood right in front of her. "I wanna glide down over Mulholland, I wanna write her name in the sky. I wanna free fall into nothin'. Oh, I'm gonna leave this world for a while."

He leaned back as he sang loudly, "I'm free, free fallin'! Yes, I'm free, free fallin', fallin'." He gradually became quieter. "I'm free, free fallin'. I'm free . . . free fallin'." He looked down at Erin and grinned. "Erin, will you go out with me?"

Her eyes widened. _He was singing about me!_ she suddenly realized. The words of Reed came back to her, in a rush. 'He's going to break your heart,' he had said. Still, he was so nice. No one had ever been that nice to her. And, she could tell, he always had the best intentions. But so did Reed. Didn't he? Her head spun.

"Um, Erin? What do you say?" She looked up at him.

"I-I need a minute." Andy's face fell. For a moment, they seemed trapped in their own world, frozen. Then, in the distance, a bell rang. Mr. Ben stood up and clapped his hands, bringing everyone back to reality.

"Okay, everyone. Time to go." No one moved.

"But – " Andy started, but Erin shook her head, cutting him off.

"I'm sorry." She got up and left quickly. Andy stared after her, willing her to come back. Soon, everyone else exited the room quietly. Soon, only two were left behind. Angela came up behind Andy and put a hand on his arm.

"You'll have to leave at some point." He nodded wordlessly and let her lead him out of the classroom. As they left, she casually said, "That was a really pretty song, Andy. Shame it didn't work out."

OOOOO

_Well, that was weird,_ Ryan thought as he walked to his locker. _Let's hope Kelly doesn't expect me to – Oh, who am I kidding, of course she's going to ask me to sing a song for her as well._ As he reached up to put in his locker combination, he realized the door was already ajar. _Did I leave it open?_ He pulled it open and his heart stopped.

His books and papers had been pushed back and, sitting in front of the mess, was a small, white pill bottle. Underneath it was a small envelope. Lifting the bottle, he picked up the envelope and opened it. He pulled out the note inside it and read it with baited breath.

_Dear Ryan,  
>I loved meeting you Friday. You have some really good ideas. I was wondering if you'd like to see me again. If you would, I'll be at Gina's, alone, after school today. I hope I'll see you there.<br>Sincerely,  
>Maxine<em>

Ryan noticed that she hadn't mentioned the pills. He also noticed she had dotted the 'I' in Maxine with a heart. On a whim, he brought the paper to his nose and found that it smelled like flowers.

"Ryan?" Kelly voice caused him to jump. He peered around the door of his locker and grinned. Kelly looked at him oddly.

"Were you texting again?" His heart slowed down a bit.

"Well, yeah, I have to get things done," he bluffed. She sighed.

"You're gonna get in trouble one of these days." He grinned, nonchalantly putting the letter back into his locker.

"That's for me to worry about." She smiled lustily at him, which he knew to mean that she wanted something.

"So, that thing Andy did today? That was really something, wasn't it?" He grabbed the pill bottle and stuck it in his pocket, before slamming his locker shut. Putting his arm around Kelly, he led her to the next class.

"Yeah, it really was."

OOOOO

School had just ended and Meredith sat on a bench outside the school. She had purposefully distanced herself from everyone else, in order to get some privacy. She had told her parents she was getting a ride home from one of her friends. Technically, this would be true, if she played her cards right. Pulling her cell phone out of her backpack, she dialed the number she had memorized by heart: Dan.

Yes, he had given her his number. Yes, she had memorized it. Yes, she was going to call him while still on school grounds. Yes, yes, yes, you don't have to judge.

She did her best to ignore how dry her throat had gotten as she held the phone to her ear, praying he would answer. She listened to the ring three times before she heard the click of him picking up.

"Hello?" Her heartbeat picked up, fearful of what she was about to do.

"Hey, it's Meredith." She used her most sultry tone, hoping it would affect him. There was a moment of silence and she held her breath.

" . . . Meredith?" Exhaling, she rolled her eyes.

"From the party."

"Oh, right!" He laughed. "That was an awesome party!"

"Yeah, yeah, it was. Anyway," She put her sultry tone back on. "I was wondering . . . I'm going to be at Gina's after school and, I was just kind of wondering, if you'd like to meet me there."

"Yeah, sure. That's actually close to where I go to school." _It's close to where everyone goes to school, it's a small town._ She thought this, but decided against saying it.

"Okay, see you there."

"Cool, see ya." She heard another click and he was gone. She smiled, mentally congratulating herself. At the party, he had admitted that he could fake being older than he really was. That made it really easy to get beer, he had said. He had admitted all this while being drunk, but that really matter. If Meredith could make things work according to her plan, she could finally figure out if she really was 'craving alcohol' or just getting sick.

Of course, if it did turn out that she was 'craving alcohol', she would be responsible and figure out what to do without giving in again. She knew she could be strong. She just had to be.

OOOOO

Oscar stood outside of Gina's, pacing back and forth. He was conflicted about whether or not to go inside.

_If I go in and Shad's there, what do I say to him?_ he thought. _I don't know if I'll be able to be strong. Of course, if he's not there, no harm, no foul, right?_ Finally, he stopped. _Come on, Oscar. Be strong. I can't just not go in. I'll just be here again tomorrow, going over the same points._ Steeling himself, he turned and pushed the door open.

A bell rang over the door as he stepped in. The inside was designed like a typical '50s sweet shop. The floor was in a black and white checkerboard design. Music played from a jukebox in the corner. There was a C-shaped counter attached to the wall across the room. The wall was decorated with signs, addressing the price of the numerous foods. There was a number of swinging chairs on metal poles a few feet from the counter. Numerous teenagers were already sitting in them, talking, eating ice cream, socializing. And, at the very end of the counter, Shad sat, staring off into space. At the sound of the bell, he turned and Oscar knew he was doomed. He shot Oscar a knowing smile that made his blood run cold. Reaching out, he patted the empty seat next to him. Oscar sighed, accepted his fate, and walked towards him.

Songs used: Acoustic version of 'Free Falling' by Tom Petty (www . youtube . com / watch?v=T3phscjgc_A)


	16. Shad's Reveal

Oscar walked towards Shad, taking deep breaths. _You can do this. You can do this._ He was sure he would've been able to hear his shoes click on the checkerboard tile floor, if the room hadn't been so loud. He probably would have noticed Ryan ducking past him with Maxine in tow if he hadn't been so lost in his thoughts. Eventually, though, he made it across the room and propped himself up onto a chair.

"Somehow I knew you'd come." Shad spoke without looking at him. "One milkshake, my good man."

A man behind the counter wearing an apron turned and gave him a thumbs-up. Shad swiveled his chair to face Oscar. He put his hand flat and sweeped it across his body in a gesture that said, 'Go ahead'. Oscar sighed and shook his head.

"I . . . might be having second thoughts," he said slowly, refusing to meet Shad's eyes. He could tell that Shad grinned widely, though.

"Well, this is quite a turn of events." A Styrofoam cup with a plastic lid was suddenly set in front of Oscar. He quietly thanked the man as Shad paid him. He began to drink through the straw as Shad said, "It's too bad I've moved on."

Oscar breathed in quickly, causing a majority of the drink to go up his nose and nearly choke on the beverage. Sitting up straighter and doing his best to ignore the burning sensation in his nose, he glared at Shad. "You've moved on? Then why are you here?"

"I love this place, Oscar." He gestured around the room. "Friendly atmosphere, good food, the works." Smiling slyly, he turned back to Oscar. "That and I wanted to be here to make you a deal."

Oscar sighed angrily. "I don't like you."

"I know. But that will change." He grinned. "The deal is you start dating me and I'll do whatever you ask. You want our relationship to be a secret? Great. You want me to buy dinner for you and your friends? Perfectly fine with me."

"And what do I have to do?" Oscar asked, wanting to cut to the chase. Shad grinned and looked him straight in the eye.

"You don't ask me about my life. My school, my friends, my family, nothing. My life is my life, yours in yours. Deal?" He put out a hand.

Of course, that last comment had peaked Oscar's interest. Why couldn't he ask about Shad's life? I mean, if they were going to be in a relationship, surely they should know each other's back stories? Looking up at Shad, he opened his mouth to ask. Before he could, however, Shad stopped him. He knew what he was going to ask. Oscar watched Shad's face change to a harsh sadness as he turned away. Feeling a pang in his heart, Oscar sighed. _Everybody's got secrets. Why should I ask him to unearth his?_

"Fine. Deal." Shad turned back to him, eyes wide.

"Really?" He smiled. "That's great." He was about to speak, but it was Oscar's turn to stop him.

"My first act as your boyfriend is to request this relationship to stay secret." Shad nodded.

"Done." He stepped off his chair and moved around to Oscar's other side, closer to the door. "You know, it's great that you agreed to this." Oscar's blood went cold.

"Why do you say it like that?"

"'Cause if you hadn't," he continued, ignoring him, "I don't what I would have said to that friend of yours."

"Which friend? About what?" Shad grinned.

"Remember that party last weekend?" Oscar nodded.

"Where I met the likes of you, yeah, I remember that."

"And you are aware the punch was spiked, yes?" As he spoke, he kept moving closer and closer to the door.

"That was unfortunate indeed."

"Well, in an attempt to make you jealous, I started flirting with other girls, but then, everyone started getting tipsy and . . . long story short, I may have banged one of your friends." He dashed away, leaving Oscar open-mouthed and speechless.

OOOOO

Glee club started late again that week. Oscar had been admittedly detached all that week, but, at last, it was Friday. He had seemed to relax a bit. Ryan, on the other hand, had become more wired than ever, and no one could figure out why. Of course, Kelly loved it.

"Tell it again," she cooed, love struck. Ryan had been talking about his most recent project, a photographic endeavor to capture the boundaries of modern society.

"Well, I was just sitting in front of the school, waiting for my mom to pick me up." Kelly, Erin and Creed listened with rapt attention, while everyone else simply ignored him. "While I was waiting, I saw a homeless man wandering nearby. And I thought, 'That isn't safe. There are kids around here. What if he'd had a gun?' So I went up to him and got some pictures. He was actually really nice, but that's not the point. If we aren't in an area that can keep us safe from the outskirts of society, maybe we're in the outskirts of society ourselves, and just don't know it."

"He's so smart," Kelly sighed. Finally, Pam turned around, annoyed.

"Ryan, how much did that camera of yours cost?" He looked over at her.

"That's hardly relevant – "

"How much?"

" . . . About five hundred dollars." He admitted sheepishly.

"I rest my case." She turned forward and he sighed.

"Oh , Pam, always focusing on what's hardly the point."

"Yeah, Pam," Kelly echoed. Pam turned back and glared at her. Avoiding eye contact with her, Kelly turned to Ryan and asked, "What is the point, exactly?"

His eyes widened. "Look around you! We're living in America!" He began to sing.

"Here in America, anyone at all can succeed."

"America, here in America," Kelly, Erin and Creed echoed.

"Do what you do, and the world will come to you, guaranteed!"

"America, here in America."

"I may be just a maker of art," he sang, humbly pointing to himself. "But here you can start with less and make a success!"

Pam rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she grumbled.

"Re-de-de-do!" Andy crowed at the door. Everyone looked up, surprised. No one had even noticed his absence. "I just wanted to make an announcement. The Nard Dog has gotten himself a girlfriend!" He made the sound of a drum roll and, to everyone's amazement, Angela stepped out.

"Andy!" she hissed. "I told you not to make a big deal out of this!"

He bowed his head. "Andy sowy."

"And don't you dare try to use your baby talk to get out of this." Angrily, she stormed off. As she made her way to her seat, she snuck a look at Dwight. His face was worth a thousand words, full of hurt and sorrow. She did her best to ignore him.

As Andy made his way back to his seat, he snuck a look at Erin. She met his eyes and smiled sadly. His heart panged. _She's happy for me._ He pushed the feeling aside, though. _I'm with Angela now._ He did his best to ignore her.

The rest of the class was pretty uneventful. Mr. Ben may have mentioned what the spring musical was going to be, but no one cared about that.

OOOOO

At the end of the day, Pam and Jim walked out of the school, hand-in-hand. As they walked down the steps together, they made pleasant conversation.

"What did you think about the science test?"

"It was easier than I thought it was going to be. You?"

" . . . Um, yeah. Easy, sure." Pam laughed as Jim grinned.

"Was Miss Dawn as mean to your class as she was to us?"

"I don't know, but I think she's going through a hard time with her boyfriend, so we should probably – " Suddenly, off in the distance, there was a cough followed by the rustling of branches. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah." They had reached the bottom of the stairs. On either side of the staircase were a number of bushes going off in either direction. He looked into the bush nearest them, where it sounded like the cough had come from. Looking down, he realized he could see the person's shoes. "Um, do you need some help?"

The redhead stumbled out of the bushes, holding a brown paper bag tightly in her right hand.

"Meredith?" Pam asked, shocked.

"Alright, you caught me!" She chuckled under her breath. Both Jim and Pam took a step back.

"What is that?" Pam questioned, pointing to the paper bag. Quickly, Meredith put it behind her back.

"My lunch," she slurred. "I didn't get to eat today and I was a little hungry."

"And then you fell into a bush?" Meredith looked up at him for the first time and started to laugh.

"Whatever you say, sweetcheeks." She reached out and patted his cheek. Lowering her voice to a stage whisper, she said, "When you're done with the blonde . . . ."

She laughed and began to stumble away. Jim and Pam watched her go, shocked.

"Meredith?" Pam asked again.

"Apparently."

"But she was so – "

"Yep."

"And now she's so – "

"Yep." Pam turned to him.

"Should we be worried?"

"Probably." He turned to her and put out his arm. "But not right now." Smiling, she linked arms with him. "Right now, we're going to go home and forget everything that's ever happened, ever."

"Sounds good to me."

Songs used: 'Success' from Ragtime (www . youtube . com / watch?v=mJTX0WGwgK4&feature=related) (starting at about 1:40)


	17. At the Ballet

That Monday, Michael waited outside of Mr. Todd's history class. As soon as the bell rang, he waited eagerly until Jan walked out of the classroom.

"Jan!" She risked a glance in his direction before swiftly turning and walking away quickly. "Jan? Jan!" He ran after her and finally caught up.

"Hey, Michael," she monotoned.

"Hey, I was calling you."

"Oh, that was you?" She responded with sarcasm, but Michael didn't seem to get it, nodding happily. She sighed. "Michael, I really don't want to talk to you right now – "

"I know and I understand that. You don't have to talk. Just listen." He stopped her and she rolled her eyes. He held a small notebook out to her, one that she hadn't noticed he'd been holding until now. Slowly, she took it and flipped through it. Her eyes widened as she realized what it contained. The notebook was filled, page after page, in Michael's scrawled, messy handwriting, with sexist jokes.

_What__'__s__the__difference__between__a__battery__and__a__woman?__A__battery__has__a__positive__side._

_ How do you turn a fox into an elephant? Marry it!_

_ What__do__you__call__a__woman__who__'__s__just__lost__95%__of__her__intelligence?__Divorced._

"Do you like it?"

Slamming the journal shut, she threw it at Michael. "What the heck was I just looking at?"

"What?" He looked up at her with a hurt expression on his face. "I thought you would like it. I originally made it for Packer. I've been stocking up."

She shook her head slowly, overwhelmed. "I thought you would've learned them from Packer." 

"No. Actually, I learned most of them from my mother's boyfriends." Jan's eyes widened and she cocked her head. Her eyes expressed a mixture of pity and sadness.

"Oh, that's right . . ." She mumbled. Sighing, she rolled her eyes. "Thank you, Michael." He looked up at her. "For the journal. Do me a favor?" He nodded eagerly. "Never mention the fact that you have a journal to me ever again."

His eyes widened. "Does that mean you'll take me back?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by the one-minute bell. Both of them straightened up.

"I have to go!" They said at the same time.

"We'll continue this conversation later!" Jan called back to him as she ran off. He sighed before running off in the opposite direction.

OOOOO

Michael slid into glee club, reaching his seat just as the final bell rang.

"Not late!" He shouted before realizing the teacher wasn't there yet. He slumped back down into his seat. _I__don__'__t__know__why__I__even__try__to__be__on__time__to__this__class._

Meanwhile, Kelly warily walked over to Meredith. She was sitting in her seat, staring off into space, eyes red-rimmed. She looked incredibly out of place, in Kelly's opinion.

"Meredith?" She turned. "Ready?" She gave a half-hearted thumbs up and Kelly smiled. "Okay, cool."

She turned and walked over to Angela, who was also gazing off into space. "Angela?" She turned. "Ready?" She nodded curtly and Kelly smiled. "Cool."

Over the weekend, Kelly had heard the greatest song ever on one of her mom's Broadway CDs. The only problem was, if she was going to sing it in glee club, which she was, she would have to get two other people to sing it with her. Attempting to match the characters to her fellow classmates, she eventually decided on Meredith and Angela. Thankfully, after enough begging, they agreed. Now, all that was left to do was wait.

The moment Mr. Ben breezed into the room, Kelly's hand shot into the air.

"Sorry I'm late, it's a big campus and – " He saw Kelly's hand. "Great! We've got a volunteer."

Kelly walked up to the front of the room and waited patiently as Angela and Meredith followed her lead. Finally, they all stood at the front of the class, Kelly in the front, Meredith and Angela flanking her on either side, making something resembling a triangle. Finally, the piano player began to play and Kelly began to sing.

"Daddy always thought that he married beneath him,

that's what he said, that's what he said.

When he proposed, he informed my mother

he was probably her very last chance.

And though she was twenty-two,

though she was twenty-two,

though she was twenty-two,

she married him."

She sang out, trying to think back if she could remember anything of her father. And yet, nothing came.

"Life with my dad wasn't ever a picnic  
>More like a "Come as you are."<br>When I was five, I remember my mother  
>Dug earrings out of the car.<br>I knew they weren't hers, but it wasn't  
>Something you'd want to discuss.<br>He wasn't warm.  
>Well, not to her.<br>Well, not to us."

Suddenly, a calm expression came over her face and she smiled.

"But  
>Everything was beautiful at the ballet.<br>Graceful men lift lovely girls in white.  
>Yes,<br>Everything was beautiful at ballet.  
>Hey!<br>I was happy... at the ballet."

Suddenly the girls rotated, Kelly walking back to Angela's spot, Angela taking Meredith's place, and Meredith standing at the front. While all this happened, Kelly continued to sing.

"Up a steep and very narrow stairway – "

"To the voice like a metronome." Angela and Meredith echoed. "Up a steep and very narrow stairway – "

"It wasn't paradise," Kelly sang.

"It wasn't paradise," Meredith echoed.

"It wasn't paradise," they sang together.

"But it was home." Kelly finished.

"Mother always said I'd be very attractive  
>When I grew up, when I grew up." Meredith sang, bitterness coloring every word.<p>

"Diff'rent," she said, "With a special something  
>And a very, very personal flair."<br>And though I was eight or nine,  
>Though I was eight or nine,<br>Though I was eight or nine,  
>I hated her."<p>

Looking into the audience, Meredith sang, looking for a bit of sympathy and understanding.

"Now,

"Diff'rent" is nice, but it sure isn't pretty.  
>"Pretty" is what it's about.<br>I never met anyone who was "diff'rent"  
>Who couldn't figure that out.<br>So, beautiful I've never lived to see." The sadness she felt while she sang seemed to be palpable.

"But it was clear,  
>If not to her,<br>Well, then... to me..." She gave a small smile and continued.

"That . . ."

"Everyone is beautiful at the ballet." She and Angela sang together. Their voices rose, weaving together and apart.

"Every prince has got to have his swan.  
>Yes,<br>Everyone is beautiful at the ballet."

"Hey," Angela breathed.

"I was pretty," Meredith reminisced.

"At the ballet." Kelly finished.

As they sang, the girls rotated again, so now Angela was at the front.

"Up a steep and very narrow stairway  
>To the voice like a metronome.<br>Up a steep and very narrow stairway." At last, the three voices came together, mixing beautifully. But, all too soon, the moment was over and the sounds separated again.

"It wasn't paradise . . ." sighed Angela.

"It wasn't paradise . . ." Meredith echoed.

"It wasn't paradise . . ." Kelly added.

"But it was home." They sang together. Angela's part began and she started by speaking.

"I don't know what they were for or against, really,  
>except each other.<br>I mean, I was born to save their marriage,  
>but when my father came to pick my mother up<br>at the hospital  
>he said, "Well, I thought this was going to help.<br>but I guess it's not..." Her eyes lifted, as if she were thinking of that very day, but soon, she returned.

"Anyway, I did have a fantastic fantasy life.  
>I used to dance around the living room<br>with my arms up like this.  
>My fantasy was that there was an Indian Chief...<br>And he'd say to me,  
>"Angie, do you wanna dance?"<br>And I'd say, "Daddy, I would love to dance!"

The girls on either side of her joined in.

"Doo-doo-doo-doo."

"But it was clear," Meredith cut in.

"Doo-doo-doo."

"When he proposed," Kelly interjected.

"Doo-doo-doo-doo."

"That I was born to help their marriage and when – " Angela continued her own story.

"Doo-doo-doo."

"That's what he said," Kelly began.

"Doo-doo-doo."

"That's what she said," Meredith added.

"Doo-doo."

"I used to dance around the living room," Angela projected.

"Doo-doo-doo-doo."

"He wasn't warm," Kelly sighed.

"Doo-doo-doo."

"Not to her . . ." Meredith continued.

"Doo-doo."

"There was an Indian chief and he'd say: 'Angie, do you wanna dance?'" Angela cried. "And I'd say, 'Daddy, I would love to.'"

Taking a step forward, Angela let the song overcome her.

"Everything was beautiful at the ballet,  
>Raise your arms and someone's always there.<br>Yes, everything was beautiful at the ballet,  
>At the ballet,<br>At the ballet!"

She hit a note that caused a majority of the class to sit up a bit straighter, in surprise. Noticing the reaction she had caused among her classmates, she bowed her head, embarrassed. Taking a few steps backward, she walked back until she was in a straight line with Kelly and Meredith. They sang together.

"Yes, everything was beautiful at the ballet."

"Hey!" Angela breathed.

"I was pretty . . ."

"I was happy . . . "

"I would love to . . . "

"At the ballet." They ended the song together. There was a moment of shocked silence, as everyone strove to process the fact that these three distant classmates just sung a beautiful song together. Soon, though, everyone began to clap for them. Meredith and Angela rushed back to their seats, but Kelly stayed at the front of the class a little longer, taking in the applause. Finally, she went back to her seat as well.

"I didn't know you could sing like that," Andy whispered to Angela as she walked past. She turned and glared at him.

"If you want to be my boyfriend, you will never mention that performance ever again." Coldly, she walked back to her seat, doing her best to stay quiet and ignore all the stares that were coming her way.

Finally, she risked a sideways glance at Dwight. He was staring at the far wall. Just the fact that he wasn't staring at her, like an ape with a lobotomy, lightened her mood a bit. It also put him a bit higher in her mental charts than pretty much everyone else in the class.

Glancing over at her, he gave her a subtle nod. "That was very good, Angela."

She cleared her throat. "Thank you, Dwight."

He turned away and she did her best to suppress a smile.

OOOOO

Kelly perked up as soon as she saw him. He stood across the hall, his head stuffed into his locker. Smoothing her skirt, she put on her best smile and strolled over.

"Hey, Ryan," she cooed, leaning against the lockers. He closed his and put a finger up. Now, she could tell he was texting something into his phone. She huffed, annoyed. "We're not even supposed to have those, you know."

He sighed, not bothering to look up at her. "Kelly, someday, when I'm the head of a very profitable company and all the teachers are still here, making up stupid rules about phones . . ." He trailed off, finishing his text and snapping the phone shut. "They'll see. They'll all see."

Kelly reached out and took his collar, pulling him closer. "So, anyway . . ."

He pulled back abruptly, before stopping himself. He sighed and put an arm around her shoulder as he led her to her next class. "Look, Kelly," She knew what was coming next, but, she let him continue, hoping she was wrong. "I like you. I really do. You're smart, capable, and a good asset. If I wanted to hire you for, say, a marketing position, I'd snap you up in a minute. But this is high school and, right now, things aren't really going like I thought they would." He stopped in front of the math room and stepped away from her. "All of this to say, I think we should see other people."

Kelly nodded, feeling as if the words had been stolen from her, as if her heart had been ripped out of her chest and torn into a million pieces, as if the entire world had just-

"Oh, Kelly, please don't cry." Looking up, she immediately started to wipe her eyes.

"I'm not crying." She muttered. _Come__on,__girl,__pull__it__together!_ She thought. _He__needs__to__know__that__you__are__strong!_ She looked at Ryan and stood up as straight as she could. "I'm not crying." She said, forcefully.

Ryan smiled and patted her shoulder. "Atta girl." He walked off and Kelly stood alone, speechless.

"If you don't come inside within the next minute, you're late." The teachers' voice behind her, although incredibly irritating, was a welcome distraction. She gloomily made her way to her seat.

"Alright," the teacher began. "Where did we leave off?"

_What__am__I__to__him?_ Kelly thought angrily. _Smart,__capable__ – __he__described__me__like__a__dog!__And__what__the__heck__is__an__asset?__I__'__m__amazing__and__he__'__s__stupid__if__he__can__'__t__see__that._ She sighed, fingering the ring he had given her, as she realized she'd never get over him. Staring at the board, she sang in her head.

_Pearls__and__ruby__rings__.__.__.__Ah,__how__can__such__worldly__things__take__the__place__of__honor__lost?__Can__they__compensate__for__my__fallen__state,__purchased__as__they__were__at__such__an__awful__cost?_ She looked at the ring more closely and began laughing to herself, remembering the day they had gotten it. He let her pick anything in the store, within reason, and spending time with him had been fun. _And__yet,__of__course,__these__trinkets__are__endearing.__I__'__m__oh,__so__glad__my__sapphire__is__a__star._ She began to perk up as she realized the perfect way to get him back. _I__rather__like__a__twenty-carat__earring.__If__I__'__m__not__pure,__at__least__my__jewels__are!_ She lifted her head up proudly. _Observe__how__bravely__I__conceal__the__dreadful,__dreadful__shame__I__feel!__Glitter__and__be-_

"Miss Kapoor?" The teachers' voice, once again, pulled her out of her thoughts. She felt her face burn and she sat up straight.

"Yes?" She put on her brightest smile.

"If you're going to be in my class, you might as well pay attention." He turned back to the board and Kelly scowled, staring daggers at him.

_They'll see. They'll all see._

Songs used: 'At the Ballet' from A Chorus Line (www . youtube . com / watch?v=5BG3QsSymLU) and 'Glitter and be Gay' from Candide (www . youtube . com / watch?v=U5liuHR6wug) (the song starts at about 1:00, but the part Kelly sings starts at about 3:53)


	18. Invisible Girl

At the end of the day, all the students filtered out of the school. Yet, Ryan Howard stood motionless at his locker until everyone had left. And Kelly, peering from around the corner a few feet away, could not figure out why.

_Not that I care or anything,_ she thought angrily. _But it's just . . . usually he's the first one out of the building. Why would he – _

Ryan's head appeared from behind his locker door and Kelly rushed to disappear from view. Looking both ways, Ryan slammed his locker shut and walked off in the opposite direction.

_Why is he going towards the back of the school? Pickup's at the front._ Eventually, Kelly left her perch and headed to the front of the school.

She reached the pickup zone and immediately noticed Ryan's mom wasn't there.

_Something weird is going on._ Flipping her phone open, she pressed the '3' and waited until the phone began to ring.

Yes, she hadn't taken Ryan off her speed dial yet. No, it's not because she thinks they are going to get back together (not even if he begged). She just thought it might come in handy. And it did. So, ha!

"Hello?" The voice belonged to Ryan's mom.

"Hi. This is Kelly, Kelly Kapoor."

"Oh, you're Ryan's girlfriend! I didn't realize he'd given you this number." Her voice faltered a bit, but bounced back almost immediately. "How are you?"

_She doesn't know that Ryan and I broke up,_ Kelly suddenly realized.

"I'm fine. I was wondering why Ryan isn't going home right now. I was just worried, you know?"

"He didn't tell you? He said he was joining the sports team because the season started early."

_Sign up for basketball starts next semester. I'm a girl and even I know that._

"Oh, yeah!" she lied. "I . . . forgot!"

"Anything else, hun?"

"Nope! Thanks!"

"You're welcome! Anytime! Bye!"

"Bye!" Kelly snapped the phone shut and stared at it, a pit of worry forming in her stomach.

_Why would he lie?_

OOOOO

After sneaking out the back of the school, Ryan hopped a public transit bus to Manson High. He got off the bus and walked to the neighborhood across the street from the school. Finally, he reached a tall, gray house that looked exactly like all the others, except for the 'For Sale' sign on the front lawn. He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and checked the address. Once he was sure they matched, he stuffed the paper back into his pocket and walked up to the front door. Taking a deep breath, he rang the doorbell and knocked on the door three times. After a few moments, he heard two knocks in return. The door opened a crack and he stepped inside.

The house was dark, but the windows let the midday sunlight in, allowing him to see silhouettes of portions of the room. The entryway in front of him split into two parts; a staircase on his left and a hallway to his right. Suddenly, he heard a voice from above him.

"Did anyone see you come in?"

The owner of the voice stood at the top of the stairs. There was a moment of panic before Ryan realized the voice was feminine. He took a few deep breaths and answered.

"No." He thought for a second. "At least, I don't think so."

There was a sigh. "Good enough. You're new, you'll learn. Did you do what I asked?"

Ryan pulled a bottle of Advil out of his pocket and held it up. "I looked through the bathroom cabinets, but this was all I could find."

There was another sigh. "Alright, that'll have to do." A silence passed. "And?"

He lowered his head. "And I broke up with her, like you asked. But, I still don't understand why – "

"Don't worry. You'll soon understand everything." He heard footsteps coming down the stairs as the voice got closer. "As for now – " Maxine stepped into a patch of light and lifted her head. The light fell into her eyes and made them glow. She grinned.

"Welcome to the club, Ryan Howard."

OOOOO

Pam checked her watch again. School had ended twenty minutes ago and she was still waiting on a bench outside the building.

_My parents are going to worry,_ she thought nervously. Turning back to the school, she gazed at the doors hopefully. _Come on, Jim, where are you?_

She heard footsteps approaching her and she turned. Her face fell when she realized it wasn't Jim, but merely another student she didn't know that well. He stood in front of her, but his eyes stayed glued to his phone. Finally, she realized why he had stopped.

"Sorry," she muttered as she pulled her backpack in closer to him. Pathway now cleared, he continued walking, without even a grunt as a response.

Pam sighed. _If he were the only one to treat me that way, I would understand. But, everyone acts like I don't exist. Is it because I'm new?_

But even Pam knew that wasn't the reason. It was because she was too shy. _It's my own fault. I should try harder to make friends._

And yet, she knew trying harder wouldn't do anything. It had been four months and she didn't have any friends. Well, that's not true. She had Jim.

_Golden boy Jim,_ she thought vindictively. Almost immediately, she pushed the spiteful feelings away. _I'm lucky to have Jim, but it's just – _

Suddenly, she heard someone running towards her. She turned as Jim jogged up, panting.

"Sorry I'm late. Kevin wanted help with a math problem and I didn't realize it would take so – " He noticed her sad expression. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head as Jim sat down next to her. "It's nothing." Jim stayed silent. "It's just – "

She stopped as she heard someone walk up. They both turned as he approached. It was Kevin.

"Hey, Jim, thanks for helping me with that math problem." Jim smiled.

"No problem."

"Who knew geometry could be so hard, right?"

Jim laughed. "Oh, you'll get it."

"Well, thanks for your help."

"Anytime." As Kevin walked off, Jim turned back to Pam. She waited until Kevin was out of range before starting again.

"It's nothing, really. It shouldn't even matter. But it does. You're just so – "

"Hey, Jim!" Pam sighed as Andy ran up.

"Hey, Andy."

"I just wanted to say thanks for teaching me that cool guitar trick. Angela's really impressed, I can feel it."

"Anytime, buddy." As Andy ran off, Jim turned back to Pam.

"Sorry. I'm just so what?" Pam shook her head.

"It's not you, it's that."

"What?"

"Hey, Jim!" She sighed, about ready to cry, as Mr. Ben ran up.

"That." Her voice broke and she turned away.

"Jim, I've been looking for you everywhere. Are you going to try out for the school musical?"

"I've been thinking about it."

"Good. Well, we'd love to have you."

"Thanks." As Mr. Ben walked away, Jim turned back to Pam, realizing she was still turned away from him.

"I'm so sorry." He offered. She turned to him and he could see her eyes were full of tears. Quietly, she began to sing.

"Superboy and the invisible girl,

Son of steel, daughter of air.

He's a hero, a lover, a prince.

She's not there."

Jim wanted so much to object, but he kept his mouth shut. It was rare to hear her say things like this, much less sing them.

"Superboy and the invisible girl,

Everything a kid ought to be.

He's immortal, forever alive,

Then there's me."

She stood and moved away from him, the tangible longing in her voice carrying over to him.

"I wish I could fly," she admitted.

"And magically appear and disappear.

I wish I could fly." She turned to him and said sadly,

"I'd fly far away from here."

Finally, Jim could stand it no longer. He stood up.

"You know that's not true.

You're my – "

Before he could continue with his portion of the song, however, they both heard a voice call his name in the distance. Pam sighed in anger and turned away.

"I have to go." He said, tiredly. "Your parents are going to be worried if you don't go home soon, so I think you'll have to go alone." He looked over at her, but she didn't move. "I'm sorry."

Pam listened to him run off before taking a deep, shuddering breath and wiping the tears from her eyes. She turned back to see him disappear around a corner.

"Take a look at the invisible girl," she whispered, her voice thick.

"Here she is, clear as the day.

Please look closely and find her before

she fades away."

She waited until she was far away from the school before she let herself cry freely.

OOOOO

Michael walked into the empty math room and sighed. Jan was there early. Like always.

He gingerly made his way over and sat down. She didn't look at him. It had been a week and she still hadn't forgiven him. Who knew she could hold a grudge for so long? Well, little did she know, Michael had decided something. He decided today, it ended here.

"Jan," Michael whispered. "Jan? JanJanJanJanJanJanJanJ – "

"What?" she hissed.

"I'm sorr – "

"Save it."

"No. I practiced this, I'm going to say it. I'm sorry for breaking up with you in front of everyone."

"And?"

"And I'm sorry for trying to get back together with you in front of everyone."

"And?"

And . . . I'm sorry for everything I've ever done, ever?" Jan sighed.

"Close enough."

"So now I'm asking you again, in the privacy of this empty classroom, will you be my girlf – "

"No."

"What? Why? I did everything right! I apologized!"

"Michael, I just don't think this is going to work out. At least not right now." He slumped down in his seat.

"Well, when do you think 'right now' will end?"

"That depends on how long my new boyfriend and I last." His eyes widened and he looked over at her. She was suppressing a smirk.

"You have a new boyfriend already?" Jan nodded.

"His name is Jacob Gould and he's captain of the chess team."

"And he's a nerd?" Jan's smile disappeared.

"He's intellectual, Michael. I needed a change of pace, okay? Besides, he's really nice and sweet and – " Jan continued to talk about how 'great' Jacob was, but Michael wasn't listening anymore.

_If only I had some sort of distraction to get me out of this situation._

As if on cue, a pale, thin boy walked in. He handed a note to the teacher, who looked over it.

"I just transferred here," there was an unnecessary pause, "from Manson High." His voice was incredibly irritating and nasal to Michael, but he didn't care. The kid walked to a table and Michael followed him.

"So, you're new, huh?" The kid nodded. Both of them sat down and Michael put out a hand. "I'm Michael." The boy took it.

"Toby Flenderson." Michael smiled.

"I have the feeling we're going to be great friends."

Song used: 'Superboy and the Invisible Girl' from Next to Normal (www . youtube . com / watch?v=84-9cHDnB78)


	19. Turn It Off

A/N: I may take a break for the rest of the month because I'm doing NaNoWriMo (National November Writing Month) for school and it's a lot harder than I thought it would be. But I promise I'll be back!

Jim walked into glee club, lost in his thoughts. He was wondering why he had been so upset all last night. He had fought with Pam. That kind of thing happens all the time. Besides, they weren't even together, or at least, they'd never talked about it. He met her four mothers ago, he barely even knew her.

He sat in his seat and cast a sideways glance at Pam. She refused to look at him. He sighed. _There's just something about her, though._

Dwight watched this exchange and scoffed inwardly. _Foolish Jim. I would never get that lost in a relationship as to pine longingly for someone._ Of course, the reason he was watching Jim was because he was doing his best to tune out Angela and Andy, who were sitting next to him, chatting happily. Or, at least, Angela was chatting. Andy was pretending to listen, while also attempting to discreetly gaze at Erin.

_What am I doing?_ Andy wondered. _I'm miserable without Erin. But I guess she'd rather be with Reed, whoever he is. Well, fine. I don't care. I just want this day to end._

And he wasn't' the only one. Michael was staring out the open door, wistfully. _If only Holly was here, or Jan, or even Toby. But no. I don't know why I even started this glee club._

Meanwhile, Oscar and Phyllis were both staring out the window, thinking about the same person. But, while Phyllis's pain went unnoticed, as usual, someone had noticed Oscar.

_I wonder if he's okay,_ Kevin thought, worriedly. _He's seemed so sad lately. _Suddenly, he perked up as an idea came to him. _I bet I know what'll make him feel better! _He grinned excitedly as he planned out what he was going to do in his head.

In the back of the room, Ryan and Meredith were also staring off into space, but for a completely different reason. Both of them had dark, bloodshot eyes, but neither one seemed to mind. And if you think Kelly didn't notice, you'd be wrong. She'd noticed. But if you think she cared, you'd also be wrong. She didn't care. If Ryan wanted to cheat on her with Meredith, fine. In fact, it wasn't even cheating since she and Ryan weren't together anymore. So it was all perfectly fine.

And, while all of this was going on, Stanley had taken a break from his crossword and was following this madness closely. He rolled his eyes and turned to find Creed staring at him, with the same expression on his face.

"Teenagers," they both muttered, shaking their heads. And, of course, Mr. Ben chose that moment to burst in happily.

"Good afternoon, everyone!" The outburst startled the class and most had jumped a bit. Mr. Ben didn't notice. "Who's ready for the Thanksgiving break?"

Half the class groaned in agreement, while the other half sat up a bit straighter, having completely forgotten about the break.

Mr. Ben chuckled. "Sorry, I don't mean to get off subject – "

"And yet, you always do." Stanley muttered. Mr. Ben either decided to ignore that comment or didn't hear it. He continued.

"Well, I was just thinking . . . what if we sang something for Thanksgiving? As a group? Instead of individually, like we've been doing. Just, you know, for a change of pace."

"But we like doing things individually," Kevin admitted.

"I'm sure you do, Kevin," Michael sighed. "But maybe a group number's exactly what we need to get some bonding going." _Maybe I could use this to make some friends in glee club!_

"That's the spirit!" Mr. Ben smiled. "Come on, it'll be fun!" A number of people rolled their eyes.

"What kind of songs could we do?" Erin asked hesitantly.

"Well, you guys are pretty good at picking out songs. So, that's your new assignment. I want at least two songs, hopefully more, to be brought forth before the end of the month. We'll all vote for the best one and that's what we'll sing. Sound good?"

There was a unanimous groan.

"Did I catch ya'll on a bad day?"

OOOOO

As soon as the last class of the day let out, Jim raced after Pam. She walked briskly with her books pressed against her chest, but eventually he caught up with her.

"Hey," he smiled. "Can I walk you home?"

"My mom's picking me up."

"Can I walk you to her car?"

"I think I can find it." They had reached her locker and she started putting her books in her backpack.

Frustrated, Jim pulled a piece of paper out of his backpack and wrote something on it. He folded it and handed it to her. "At the very least, would you sing this with me in glee club tomorrow?"

Slowly, she took the paper, but didn't unfold it.

"If you won't, that's fine," he continued. "But, just . . . think about it. Please." He left and she watched him go. Once he was completely out of sight, she opened the paper. Her eyes widened when she saw the song and her face broke into a smile. She pressed the paper to her chest and sighed.

OOOOO

Oscar trudged to his locker with a heavy heart. When he opened it, a folded piece of paper fell out in front of him. He picked it up and unfolded it to find a note.

_Dear Oscar,_

_ I wish I could tell you who I am. Alas, my admiration of you, as well as my identity, can never be made public. However, I can't remain silent forever._

_ Oscar, the sight of you brightens my day. Even a quick glance can pull my spirit ten stories high. Your smile is like a ray of sun and it fills me with warmth. I love to see you happy._

_ I have difficulty saying things that others seem to have no trouble saying. The exception to this is when I write. The pressure is taken away and the words flow from me easily. I can say things I was never able to._

_ So, Oscar, I adore you. Please don't be sad._

_Sincerely,_

_Your Secret Admirer_

His eyes widened and he quickly folded the letter, looking around to make sure no one had seen him. His heart beat quickly as he packed the letter in with his things. He'd never admit it out loud, but he secretly hoped it had been Shad who wrote the note.

As he closed his locker, he grinned, feeling lightheaded. He could barely keep from skipping away. As he left, head in the clouds, Kevin peeked out from around the corner a short distance away. He smiled at seeing Oscar happy.

_I've still got it!_ He thought ecstatically.

OOOOO

Erin sat on her bed, homework out in front of her, but she couldn't seem to will herself to work. She felt an odd sort of pang in her heart every time she saw Andy, but she didn't know what it meant. _I'll ask Reed._

As if on cue, the door opened a crack.

"Kelly?" Reed whispered. Erin stayed silent. He sighed. "Erin?"

"In here." He came in and saw her confused expression. It was the same look she'd always had when she longed to ask a question, but wanted to wait until the right time. He walked over and sat on the bed next to her.

"What's wrong?" She turned to him with wide eyes.

"I don't know. I mean, every time I see them together, I want to tear them apart and destroy her and I've never been that violent before. But, she's not a bad person and I know this, but I still hate her, and it feels weird to see them. And I don't know what to do!" She took a moment to breathe and Reed cut in.

"What?" She sighed and slowed down.

"I like Andy." Reed started to object, but she cut him off. "And he's a good person. I guess, I want an answer. Why can't I be with him?"

Reed sighed and took her hand. "Come with me."

He led her out the door and down the hall, sneaking past Mrs. Taylor, down another hallway, finally ending outside the boys' bedroom. Erin followed him in hesitantly and was surprised at what she saw. The boy's room looked exactly like the girl's room, but everything was reversed. The beds were against the left wall, instead of the right, and the chairs were the same way. There was still a window at the far end of the room, overlooking the front of the building. There was a wooden chest underneath it as well, same as in her room.

"It's like traveling into a mirror, into my room," she mumbled absentmindedly.

There were a few boys sitting on the beds, talking and reading. They immediately stated paying attention, though, when Erin walked in.

"What's she doing here?" someone asked.

"Hey, gorgeous, how've you been?" asked someone else.

"Reed, we're gonna get in trouble," came another voice.

"Guys, guys, calm down." He pointed at Erin. "This is Erin." There were a few 'hello's. "She says she's fallen for a boy at her school. A boy named Andy Bernard."

There were hoots and hollers at this, as most of the boys burst into laughter. This forced Erin to think, _What's wrong with Andy?_

Now, this is a legitimate question. What was wrong with Andy, at least in these boys eyes? Well, truthfully, nothing. In fact, not a one of these boys had ever met Andy before at all. It wasn't a hatred of Andy that caused this. It was an allegiance to Reed.

Reed likes Erin. He's made this clear to just about everyone but her. He imagines one day she'll realize her feelings for him are more than just sisterly and they'll get married and live happily ever after. Andy ruins this plan. So, if he can keep them apart for a few more years, it will all be okay. So, he recruited his friends to help. And now, it was all coming into play.

A tall boy with dark brown hair jumped off his bed and landed in front of Erin.

"I got a feeling' that you could be feelin' a whole lot better then you feel today." He sang, putting out a hand. Erin took it and he led her to the window. They sat down on the wooden chest together. "You say you got a problem? Well, that's no problem! It's super easy not to feel that way."

She looked out the window at all the cars and people walking below. They all looked so small from where she was.

"When you start to get confused by thoughts in your head, don't feel those feelings! Hold them in instead." The boy recommended this nonchalantly and Erin looked up at him with surprise. He stepped away and started to sway.

"Turn it off, like a light switch. Just go click! It's a cool little high school trick!" He motioned to the other boys. "We do it all the time. When you're feeling certain feelings that just don't seem right, treat those pesky feelings like a reading light and – "

"Turn it off?" Erin suggested. The boy grinned and nodded.

"Like a light switch! Just go bap!" He swung his arms out, almost hitting another boy near him. Erin stifled a laugh. "What's so hard about that? Turn it off!"

"Turn it off!" the other boys echoed. A new boy with blond hair and a petite frame stepped forward. Erin faced him attentively.

"When I was young, my dad  
>would treat my mom real bad,<br>every time the Utah Jazz would lose.  
>He'd start a-drinkin',<br>and I'd start a-thinkin',  
>'How am I gonna keep my mom from getting abused?'"<p>

The boys in the background started swaying along with the imaginary music.

"I'd see her all scared and my soul was dying.  
>My dad would say to me, 'Now, don't you dare start crying.'"<p>

He paused for effect and Erin leaned forward, intrigued.

"Turn it off!" All the boys began to sing. "Like a light switch, just go click! It's our nifty little high school trick. Turn it off!"

Another boy, this time tall with shoulder length red hair, stepped forward to sing his part. The boys hummed and accompanied him in the background.

"When I was in fifth grade,  
>I had a friend, Steve Blade.<br>He and I were as close as two friends could be.  
>One thing led to another,<br>and soon I would discover  
>I was having really strange feelings for Steve."<p>

His eyes drifted up and he smiled absentmindedly.

"I thought about us on a deserted island.  
>We'd swim naked in the sea and then he'd try and – "<p>

Suddenly, he snapped back to reality.

"Whoa! Turn it off, like a light switch!  
>There, it's gone."<p>

The blond haired boy chimed in with, "Good for you!"

"My hetero side just won," the redhead continued. "Turn it off!"

"Turn it off!" the other boys echoed. They all jumped forward and began to dance an incredibly well-choreographed number, much to Erin's surprise. As they danced, Reed came and stood in the middle of the group. Erin's eyes fell on him and he smiled at her before beginning to sing.

"When you're feeling certain feelings that just don't seem right,  
>treat those pesky feelings like a reading light! Turn it off!"<p>

He held the note as the other boys sang along with him. Finally, as the song drew to a close, they came together as a group.

"Turn it, turn it, turn it . . .  
>turn it, turn it, turn it . . .<br>turn it . . . ."

"Turn it off!" Reed finished, striking an end pose with his hands out. The other boys also struck poses and looked toward their audience. Erin burst into a wide smile and started applauding happily.

"That was amazing!" she gushed. Reed smiled and stepped away from the group. The other boys went back to what they had been doing before, as if nothing had happened. Reed put out a hand, which Erin took, standing up. He led her to the door.

"Do you understand now, Erin?" he asked understandingly. Truthfully, she still didn't understand why she couldn't be with Andy. If anything, she was more confused. But, they had all worked so hard at that musical number, she couldn't bear to disagree.

"I understand." She lied.

They had gotten a few feet away from the door before it burst open. It happened so fast Erin didn't even have time to hide. A large body blocked the door and, as the shadow fell over Erin, she froze, paralyzed with fear.

"What is going on here?" Mr. Gilmer, the headmaster of the boys, roared. The room had become completely silent. His eyes fell upon Erin and they widened in shock. Almost immediately, though, his expression fell into an indiscernible mask. His voice dropped to a low rumble. "Oh, girly. This does not end well for you."

He slowly walked toward her and took the back of her shirt. He held it tightly and steered her out of the room without another word.

They walked down the hall in silence. Since Erin had never even dared to go near the boys' dorm until today, she had no idea where he was taking her and she was too afraid to ask. They went down numerous hallways and stairwells, getting deeper and deeper into the building. At one point, he opened a door at the bottom of a stairwell and Erin saw a carpet less, unpainted floor of the building she had never seen before. The walls were gray and had pipes running along them. She only had a moment to take it in before Mr. Gilmer nudged her inside. He closed it behind her and they continued walking.

Their shoes made clicking sounds on the cement floor. Erin did her best to keep her legs from trembling and she feared Mr. Gilmer could hear how loud her heart was beating. To distract herself from her fear, she followed the pipes on the walls with her eyes.

Finally, they stopped in front of a gray door. He opened it and Erin slowly walked inside. There was a light switch next to the door on the inside. She turned it on and saw a small gray room. There was a mattress, blanket and pillow against one wall and a chair in the corner. Other than that, the room was empty. There was another door in the wall opposite her, which, Erin presumed, was a restroom.

"You'll stay in here until I come back and get you." The sound of Mr. Gilmer's voice piercing through the silence made her jump. She didn't even turn around until she heard the door close. There was the click of a lock and the sound of his footsteps fading away. She went and sat in the chair quietly. And with that, Erin was completely alone.

A/N: I am aware this is not how orphanages operate, despite what television and movies want us to believe. This is less about how the orphanage is run and more about Mr. Gilmer's past. I'll make that clear in a later chapter, but I just wanted to clarify that point now.

Song used: 'Turn It Off' from The Book of Mormon (www . youtube . com / watch?v=cWA_jr-AwyA)


	20. Oscar, Phyllis, and Shad

A/N: Sorry for the wait. NaNoWriMo was fun, but I'm glad to be back! :D

Even though Jim didn't have glee club until after lunch, and it was only nine-fifteen, he was feeling like he could walk on air. He could hardly wait until he got Pam's answer. He'd been practicing all night and, to be quite honest, he was really nervous. But he knew it would all be okay.

As he turned the corner, he had to stop to keep from running into a tall body. He tried to go around whoever it was.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"Oh, sure," the figure replied, stopping Jim in his tracks. "Always trying to sidestep your problems, huh?" Slowly, Jim turned to face Roy. "Well, you're not sidestepping me this time."

He reeled his arm back and closed his hand into a fist. Jim's eyes widened and he ducked, just barely missing a blow to the face. Roy growled in annoyance.

As Jim started backing away, he began thinking. _Okay, let's go through my options here. I could fight._ He took a second look at Roy, who was walking towards him menacingly. _Nope. I could run, seeing as I have – _He took a quick glance at his watch. _ - three minutes to get to class and I don't want to go as a Jim pancake. Yep, that one sounds best._

He turned on his heel just as Roy pounced on him. Tearing down the hall, books pressed to his chest, Jim didn't even turn around when Roy yelled after him, "That's right, Halpert. Just run. You know I'll get you at some point."

Roy turned back angrily, heading in the direction of his own class. Needing to get rid of some of his rage, he shoved the person passing by him. The person nearly fell and when he looked up, Roy could see it was Oscar. The fear showed in his eyes and Roy decided to take advantage of the situation.

"You're next." He growled before storming away.

OOOOO

"What does that mean, 'I'm next'?" Oscar asked later in glee club, obviously shaken. Phyllis shrugged.

"It was probably just some random threat."

"But what if it wasn't?"

"But what if it was?" Oscar sighed.

"We've been in the same grade this entire time?" Phyllis nodded. "How did I not know you before now?" She shrugged and gave a half-smile.

"You've always been so close with Kevin, I guess." She shrugged again. Oscar smiled.

"Well, don't tell Kevin this, but," he took a quick glance at Kevin's empty chair before continuing, "it's kind of nice to have a friend I can talk to intelligently with." He realized that sounded mean and tried to clarify. "I mean, he's great, but it's just nice to have a girl friend."

Phyllis grinned. "Thanks."

Oscar's eyes widened. "That reminds me." He took a quick look around to make sure no one was looking before pulling out a piece of paper. He handed it to Phyllis, who read it quietly.

While she read it, Oscar smiled, reflecting on his past with his new friend. They had indeed become close. They seemed to be able to talk about anything. He had never had a friend like this before.

And, maybe it was his gay fashion sense finally surfacing, but those clothes did not suit Phyllis at all. Taking a closer look, Oscar realized it wasn't the style of the clothes that looked off, but the fact that the clothes didn't seem to fit her. In fact, over the past few weeks, Phyllis had been filling out her figure. He would tell her, but she had seemed so down lately. The only time she perked up was when he talked to her. He didn't want to ruin that.

Oscar's thoughts came to a halt as Pam walked up to him.

"Hey, just out of curiosity, have you guys seen Jim?" she asked. Oscar shrugged.

"Not since this morning, sorry. Why do you ask?" She sighed.

"He's not here and he's not one to skip class." She looked up and pulled a smile out for Oscar. "Well, thanks anyway."

Oscar watched her go back to her seat and sit down sadly. _I should probably keep an eye on that, _he thought.

He looked up to find that Phyllis had finished reading. She stared at him with wide eyes, filled to the brim with tears.

"Whoa, are you okay?" She nodded, smiling.

"That's just so sweet," she choked out. "It's nice to see that kind of chivalry is still around. I mean, a love letter?" She had to stop because she was trying not to cry. Oscar patted Kevin's chair and, sniffling, she moved down a row to sit in it. Oscar gave her a hug and soon, she regained her composure.

_I'll ask her more about it later,_ Oscar thought.

OOOOO

After glee club ended, Oscar tried to follow Phyllis out, to make sure she was okay. Unfortunately, it took him longer than he thought it would to pack up his things and, by the time he was done, she was gone.

He raced out the door and down the hall, looking for her. He pushed past other kids going to class. Finally, he thought he heard her voice. Turning down another hallway, he saw her standing with a tall boy with tan skin. Oscar ducked behind the corner, in an attempt to give her some privacy.

_Maybe that's her boyfriend. Does she have a boyfriend? _Oscar wondered. _I should ask. Maybe we're not as close as I thought._

Taking another peek around the corner, he realized the boy looked really familiar. At last, he realized it was Shad.

_I didn't know she was friends with Shad! I mean, I knew she knew him, but – Well, cool! We can all be friends together!_ He was about to walk towards them, when he saw them hug tightly. As they pulled away, Shad gave Phyllis a deep kiss. Oscar's mouth dropped open as Shad put a hand on Phyllis's stomach. He appeared to ask something and she nodded, happily. Oscar ducked behind the corner, his heart pounding.

All the memories of the past few months came back to him in a flash. Phyllis's clothes not fitting, her sudden emotional outbursts, Shad casually mentioning he slept with someone at that party . . . _Oh, no._

Oscar ran off to somewhere he could collect his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Shad and Phyllis parted ways, in fear and confusion. As Phyllis walked to her next class, her new secret warm in her stomach, she sighed. Her heart felt heavy with everything she was hiding.

"It's so strange he doesn't show me  
>more affection than he needs.<br>Almost formal, too respectful,  
>never takes romantic leads.<p>

There are times when I imagine  
>I'm not always on his mind.<br>He's not thinking what I'm thinking,  
>always half a step behind.<br>Always half a step behind."

As she walked, she began to sing a flowing melody.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh.

Oh, oh, oh, oh,  
>oh, oh, oh, oh."<p>

Shad walked to his school, quickly, his heart racing. _I'm a father. __I'm__ a father._ No matter how many times he told himself that, he still couldn't comprehend it. He stopped and fell against a nearby tree, outside the front of the school, needing a moment to think.

"I'm in every kind of trouble.  
>Can't you tell? Just look at me.<br>Half ecstatic, half dejected,  
>All in all, I'm all at sea.<p>

Easy terms I thought I wanted  
>fill me now with chilling dread.<br>You could never know the chaos  
>of a life turned on its head.<br>Of a life turned on its head."

He began to sing the same melody Phyllis had been singing.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh."

Phyllis, who had stopped to sit on a bench, out of breath, began to sing the melody now as well.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh,  
>oh, oh, oh, oh,<br>oh, oh, oh, oh."

Oscar ran into the library and dove into a section, unaware of where he was. He sat down on a stool and sighed. His head throbbed with all this new, life-changing information. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out his crumbled love letter and smoothed it out on his leg. He stared at it for a moment before beginning to sing.

"I am certain that I love him,  
>but a love can be misplaced.<br>Have I compromised my family  
>in my passion and my haste?<p>

I could be his life companion  
>anywhere but where we are.<br>Am I leader? Am I traitor?  
>Did I take a step too far?<br>Did I take a step too far?"

Oscar sang the melody with disbelief and sorrow over a lost friend.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh."

Shad sang along with fear and bewilderment over what he was about to face.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh."

Phyllis joined in, unknowingly, singing with grief over a lost childhood.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh,  
>oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.<br>Oh, oh, oh, oh,  
>oh, oh, oh, oh,<br>oh, oh, oh, oh!  
>Did I take a step too far?"<p>

They finished the song together, yet apart, each letting the question linger in the air. After a few moments, they all returned to normal life and continued in the direction they had been going previously. Phyllis left to go her class, while Shad left his place beneath the tree and headed back to his school. Oscar picked up his things and left the library sadly.

_Maybe I wasn't meant to make new friends._

OOOOO

That night, Kelly couldn't get to sleep. She lay on top of her bed in her pajamas, staring at the ceiling and thinking of Ryan.

_If only I had someone to talk to about this. I mean, I've got my mom, but she's my mom._ She sighed in frustration. _And today had to be the one day Erin chooses to be absent. Who am I supposed to talk to when she's gone?_

Finally, she admitted defeat.

_I miss Ryan. I need to find a way to get him back._ Glancing at the clock, she saw it was only nine-thirty. _But, before I come up with a plan, I have something more important to do._

Getting up, she pulled her karaoke pack out from under her bed. Switching it on, she took her IPod off the nightstand and scrolled through its contents.

"Here we go." Choosing a song, she plugged the electronic device into the machine. Almost immediately, music began spilling out. She tested the mike and then, when her cue came, she began singing along.

"You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset.  
>She's going off about something that you said.<br>She doesn't get your humor like I do.

I'm in my room, it's a typical Tuesday night.  
>I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like<br>and she'll never know your story like I do."

Unhooking the mike from the machine, she was able to walk away from the machine to get some space to dance.

"But she wears short skirts and I wear t-shirts.  
>She's cheer captain and I'm on the bleachers.<br>Dreamin' 'bout the day when you wake up and find  
>that what you're looking for has been here the whole time."<p>

She jumped up onto her bed and started singing her heart out, indulging in her concert.

"If you could see that I'm the one who understands you,  
>been here all along, so why can't you see-ee-ee?<br>You belong with me-ee-ee, Ryan.  
>You belong with me."<p>

Her mother, lying in bed in her room, smiled into the darkness. _My little girl is growing up._

If one were to see the outside of Kelly's house at that moment, it would be a tall building with dark windows, all but one. In one window, there was a light on and, occasionally, the shadow of a dancing teenager would fall across the shades.

Other than that, it was a peaceful night within the neighborhood.

Songs used: 'A Step Too Far' from Aida (www . youtube . com / watch?v=laW9gdxPwuw) and 'You Belong With Me' by Taylor Swift (www . youtube . com / watch?v=RgNfbd_eQVg)


	21. Jim and Dwight

A/N: Okay, I'm not going to lie. The song used in this chapter is extremely repetitive, in regards to the lyrics. However, the song itself is beautiful and really fits the mood. I have, as usual, put the information and a link at the bottom of the page. This is the one time I'd suggest listening to the song, either before or while you read this. You don't have to do it, you are your own person. Just don't say I didn't warn you. (Also, I'm really sorry for taking so long to come back to this. Here are some virtual cookies in an attempt to keep the peace. *holds out a plate of cookies* I'm also sorry if you got more than one notification for this chapter. Technology is hard.)

Erin lied in her cot, staring up at the dark, stone ceiling. She'd been attempting to collect her thoughts for days, but every time she tried, the thoughts flew out of control.

_I can't 'turn off' my feelings for Andy,_ she finally admitted to herself. _But, why can't I? I mean, he turned off his feelings for me . . . if he ever had feelings for me._ She groaned. Putting her hands on top of her head, she pushed her hair in front of her face, sinking into complete darkness. _I wish my mom was here._

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh."

She sat up suddenly. She could have sworn she had heard a voice. Listening harder, she confirmed it, hearing a feminine voice singing off in the distance.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh."

The haunting tune wrapped itself around her. She felt her heart pulling her towards the voice.

"When I go to college," she asked hesitantly into the darkness. "Will I be on my own? Because if I go to college – "

"Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah."

"Will I be completely alone?"

The music in her head fell into a soothing melody. The room had become oddly brighter and Erin turned in the direction of the light. A woman was sitting next to her on the cot. She had bright eyes and a kind smile. Her brown hair was pulled out of her face and her entire body was glowing softly. Even though Erin had never seen her before, she immediately knew who it was. The woman gazed at Erin with love and began singing softly.

"We always knew you were a winner.  
>We saw it when you smiled.<br>Start from the beginning,  
>when you were a beginner.<br>You were the perfect child.

We always knew, we always knew,  
>you were a champion.<br>Your sadness filled my room.  
>Dear, if you should feel my gloom,<br>blame it on me.  
>Blame it on your daddily and mammily<br>'cause depression runs in our family."

"I love you." She put out her arms and Erin fell into them, letting herself be held by her mother, at last. The woman rocked her and rubbed her back gently. Erin's heart soared as her mother sang the words she'd always longed to hear from her. "I love you. I love everything about you, dear. And I swear it's true. I love you."

"I love you." A new voice came from Erin's left. She slowly sat up and turned in its direction. A tall, built man stood a few feet away, glowing as well. He slowly moved toward Erin. "I love you. I love everything about you, baby." Once he got close enough, he reached out and cupped her chin, slowly coming to sit down next to her. He let go gently as he continued.

"And maybe it's true," her parents sang together. "I love you." Erin glanced at both of them before staring straight ahead, letting her voice drift into the semi-darkness.

"I want to write you letters," she admitted.  
>"but Mrs. Lovett says that you're too far.<br>Mama, mama, mama.  
>How would you react?<p>

When I was little, someone told me  
>you would return from wherever you are.<br>Mama, mama, mama.  
>But you never came back.<p>

Are you soon returning?  
>In my letters, I would plead,<br>'Tell me what you're learning.'  
>Ma, I have, oh gosh, this need.<p>

I think Reed is angry, Ma,  
>and I do not know what to do.<br>Mama, mama, mama.  
>Am I all on my own?<p>

I think they take out on me  
>what they want to take out on you.<br>Mama, mama, mama!  
>How I wish we were home.<p>

She poured all of the sadness and betrayal she was feeling into her words.

"How I wish we were home.  
>How I wish we were . . . home."<p>

"We always knew you were a winner," her parents' voices overlapped over hers.

"A bathing beauty, you," her mother admitted.

"And we loved the way you grew," her father added. "Since you were born."

"Kelly, we couldn't be prouder."

"Please let me say one time louder!"

"I love you!" The two adults sang with passion and sorrow. Suddenly, Erin realized she forgave them. How could she not forgive them?

"I love you!" Erin joined in finally. Each of her parents took one of her hands and sang with her.

"I . . . love – "

Suddenly, a bright light drowned everything out. Erin opened her eyes to find herself lying on the cot. She had fallen asleep. She realized her eyes were wet and rubbed them, sniffling. A large silhouette stepped into the light, which was coming from the doorway.

"You may come out now," the voice of Mr. Gilmer boomed into the room, shattering anything left of her dream world. "Don't do it again."

She tried to give some sort of confirmation, but she couldn't get the words past the lump in her throat. Instead, she just nodded. Mr. Gilmer left, closing the door and letting the room fall into complete darkness once again.

Erin sat up on the cot and listened to his footsteps fading. As soon as she was certain he had left, she sang into the darkness. In her mind, she could the echoing voices of her parents singing along with her.

"I love you."

OOOOO

That Monday morning, Oscar decided he had been Mr. Nice Guy for much too long. He decided he would expose Phyllis and reveal the truth about Shad. But, as he walked into the classroom, Phyllis looked up at him and beamed. Immediately, he knew he'd never be able to bring himself to tell her.

"Hey, Phyllis," he sighed, defeated.

"Hey, Oscar!" As he came and sat down, she leaned towards him and lowered her voice. "I've been thinking about your note."

She continued, but Oscar couldn't help his mind from wandering. He could no longer hear her voice without thinking of Shad and the betrayal he'd been put through.

Meanwhile, Kevin was sitting next to them, busy pretending like he wasn't eavesdropping. Suddenly, Oscar turned to him.

"Hey, Kevin," he offered. Kevin slowly turned, eyes wide.

_I didn't lose my best friend?_ He tried to keep his expression neutral. "Hey, Oscar."

"How have you been?" Kevin's heart soared. His best friend was talking to him again! He didn't know what he'd done to lose him, but he was going to do his best to not do it ever again.

As Kevin and Oscar fell into conversation, Phyllis sighed, slowly realizing she'd been cut out. Leaning back in her chair, her eyes drifted to Erin's empty seat. _She's still gone? It's been a week. I hope she's okay._

At that moment, Pam rushed in and sat down. Jim glanced over at her and she smiled. Reaching into the front pocket of her backpack, she pulled out the tattered piece of paper Jim had given her so many weeks ago. His eyes widened, but before he could mouth anything, she nodded eagerly.

Mr. Ben walked in eagerly. "Sorry I'm late. Just came back from _planning the spring musical._" He clearly emphasized those words, but no one seemed to notice. With a quick glance over the crowd, he noticed that Jim looked particularly excited to ask something. Usually, he seemed to be apathetic towards anything having to do with this class. Before he could address him, however, Stanley piped up.

"Why are you so intent to getting us to try out for the spring musical? It's the end of December."

"Excellent question, Stanley." _Jim will have to wait._ "We're planning the spring musical and need people to audition for it in these early months because we're going to start rehearsing soon. That way, when it opens in the spring, we've already practiced for a while. Now, the reason I've been trying to get you all in particular to try out is because you are all so talented."

There were a few scattered scoffs at this. Mr. Ben crossed his arms in disbelief.

"Why do you doubt yourself? You are all extremely talented kids."

Jim's hand shot into the air, unable to be patient anymore. "Yes, Jim?"

"Sir, I think you are completely correct. We have all really come to prove ourselves in the last few weeks. And yet, some of us haven't performed yet. What do you think about that, Dwight?" Dwight turned sharply to face Jim.

"What are you talking about, Halpert?" There was a pause in which Dwight and Jim stared into each other's eyes. Finally, Jim turned away.

"Never mind. Forget I said anything." He mumbled something unintelligible. Dwight immediately straightened up in his chair.

"I demand you tell me what you just said!" Jim scoffed, but refused to make eye contact with Dwight. "Fine! Screw you, Halpert! I'll sing a stupid song!"

Jim's head popped up, having finally heard what he was waiting for. "Great, when?"

The room became very quiet and Dwight was suddenly aware of how everyone's eyes were on him. _Crap._

"Well . . . I guess . . . " An anger welled up inside him. _What am I doing? Schrutes' don't stammer!_ "Tomorrow!"

"Great." Jim replied coolly.

"Great!" Dwight shouted back.

"Fine."

"Fine!"

"Cool."

"C- Shut up, Halpert."

At that moment, the bell rang, cutting the boys' conversation short. Jim shot an apologetic look back at Pam before picking up his backpack and racing out the door. He had to walk Karen to her next class and he didn't want to be late.

Pam watched him go, her chest tightening as she shoved the folded piece of paper in her hand back into her backpack.

Song used: The I Love You Song from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

http : / / www . youtube . com / results?search_query=the+i+love+you+song+25th+annual+putnam+county+spelling+bee&oq=the+i+love+you+song&aq=1&aqi=g10&aql=&gs_sm=3&gs_upl=.3.7l11l0

(It makes more sense in context, but either way, I thought it really fit Erin.)


End file.
